All Girls

by Emily Layden

An all-girls boarding school in a hilly corner of Connecticut, Atwater is a haven for progressive thinking and feminist intellectuals. The students are smart, driven and worldly; they are also teenagers, learning to find their way. But when they arrive on campus for the start of the fall term, they're confronted with startling news: an Atwater alumna has made a troubling allegation of sexual misconduct against an unidentified teacher. As the weeks wear on and the administration's efforts to manage the ensuing crisis fall short, these extraordinary young women come to realise that the adults in their lives may not be the protectors they previously believed.

All Girls unfolds over the course of one tumultuous academic year and is told from the point of view of a small cast of diverse, interconnected characters as they navigate the social mores of prep school life and the broader, more universal challenges of growing up. The trials of adolescent girlhood are pitched against the backdrop of sexual assault, consent, anxiety and the ways that our culture looks to young women as trendsetters, but otherwise silences their voices and discounts their opinions. The story that emerges is a richly detailed, impeccably layered, and emotionally nuanced depiction of what it means to come of age in a female body today.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Dark Academia, Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 2021

About the author

Emily Layden is a screenwriter and the author of the novels Once More From The Top and All Girls. A graduate of Stanford University, her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Marie Claire, Runner’s World, and Town & Country. She lives in upstate New York.

Find her at emilylayden.com or on Instagram

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love the claustrophobic, ominous, dark, disturbing vibes of the stories take place in boarding school. And the quick, intriguing start throughout Lauren Triplett’s ride to school, seeing the signs on the road informs them there is a rapist at her new academy, gave me hope and hooked me up from the first pages.

But after Lauren’s arrival to Atwater which is a special place of feminist intellectuals and progressive thinking , we learn more about rape allegations about a faculty member swept under the rug!

But after bombarding of too many POVS and details about different school characters( yes: unfortunately each chapter is told by different student’s third POV) I truly got lost. It was more challenging to watch Netflix’s German series “Dark” and differentiate the characters’ names and which timelines they were coming from. I couldn’t catch the direction of the story, I couldn’t remember all those names and their back stories. I started to lose my interest and I finally gave up.

It could be promising debut because the plot line and beginning was powerful but the way of story telling with nearly 100 POVs was mentally exhausting experience for me. I still want to read the next works of the author but unfortunately this didn’t work well with me.

So I’m giving three solid stars only for promising start and intriguing plot line.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tl;dr: All Girls is a thoughtful examination of what being a teenage girl is like today.

All Girls surprised me, and in the best possible way. I expected a standard tale--one girl's pov about a sex scandal at a prestigious New England boarding school--but instead got a richly woven tapestry about what it's like to be a girl. Not just what society wants from you, but what you want for yourself and what you can do in a world where you're told to be independent but curtailed by the adults around you and your own desires: to fit in, to stand out, to try and find understanding of/in a world that tells you can do anything but then limits you.

From Lauren, to Mia, to Emma--to all the girls featured in All Girls--it was so refreshing to read about the experiences of not one, but many girls during their year, from freshman to senior, and how, in their corner of rarefied Connecticut, even these "privileged" girls are subject to everything all girls face.

I think the book is thoughtful and nuanced, smart and never, ever pandering, and the title is spot on. All Girls will resonate with anyone who remembers their teen years and I expect it will have enormous crossover appeal to teens. This isn’t just a title for adults, and I expect it to generate a lot of discussion among readers of all ages.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

All Girls has several elements of interest: a coming-of-age story, mystery involving a boarding school, strong female characters, friendships, and a scandal, and it tackles it all with nine distinct characters’ voices. While that worked for me because I got a strong sense of what was happening, I can also see how it wouldn’t work for everyone because of the number of characters.

That said, All Girls is an important story. It takes place in 1995 when several female students are sexually assaulted, and the school has a crisis on its hands.

I thought the author handled these difficult topics with sensitivity, and even with the number of characters, I felt close to them all because of the intimacy of the storytelling and how well-written it is. I think it’s best read considering it as connected stories rather than a singular plot, if that makes sense.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.Jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Katie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Yes, my rating for this book is pretty low but I did get a few worthwhile things from the story. The main issue I had is there were too many characters and with each chapter featuring a new POV, it was too much. The story got lost with so many different voices.

Atwater is an all girls boarding school located in Connecticut. At the beginning of the school year, a former student makes allegations of sexual misconduct against a teacher. The story starts off following Lauren, a new student at Atwater, and from there on a new character is featured each chapter throughout the course of the school year. While the schools handling of the allegations is a main plot point, the story gives a look at everything that comes with growing up as a female.

There are a few moments in the story that really resonated with me. It was like I was transported back to being a fifteen year old girl and could totally relate to what a certain character was feeling or thinking. The author touched upon on how back in the 1990s certain subjects weren't really talked about and therefore it was hard for many of us growing up back then to adequately describe our experiences or feelings. And that hit me like a ton of bricks realizing that was spot on and how the girls of my generation and the ones before me, just didn't have all of the tools to help us navigate our way thru adolescence. But I also feel a sense of hope we are making strides in giving the girls of this generation more knowledge and building up their confidence so they are able to express themselves.

There were some good, thought provoking moments here and there. However, I can't help but think some of the author's messaging got lost because of the way the book was executed with the multiple POVs. Somewhere around the start of the second half of the book, it became difficult for me to focus. I like when you can feel invested in the characters and with the way this book was set up, it wasn't really an option. Before you knew it, you were moving on to the next character.

Even though I didn't like the story as a whole, it was worth reading for the couple powerful moments that resonated with me.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up
I generally like boarding school stories, and the timeliness of the subject matter of sexual assault appealed to me. This book, however, suffers from introducing way too many characters, too many points of view. So many so that I got dizzy and confused and had a difficult time following what was even going on. I need to be able to connect with a character (or at the most three or four, but this was excessive, well over 50, but with nine main characters) and while I see what the author was trying to do with this book by showing us how complex and pervasive different issues are with teens, it just didn't work for me.
The themes explored here are important and meaningful, and the writing is pretty good, so I did round up rather than down, but the execution of the plot was so convoluted that I couldn't rate it any higher. I would read something else by this author in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is frustrating! This debut is truly well-written, providing the reader an immersive experience to a prestigious boarding school for girls, as well as an insider's view of what it means and how it feels to be a teenager in today's world, albeit it an elite world. The opening chapter is riveting and introduces an allegation of rape that brings about all manner of questions, discussion, and concern amongst (some of) the girls. My issue was with the structure through which the reader hears from a different girl each month of the school year. Too many characters made this feel convoluted and the central issue was sometimes challenging to connect to the narrative, and at other times diluted or absent. The ending was ambiguous, at best.

The author highlights how these institutions (and it isn't difficult to draw lines to many, many other institutions, educational and otherwise) have treated these crimes as "sensitive situations," with a focus on reputation and money rather than believing or protecting the victim, thereby creating a safer environment for all.

3 stars

[human · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(actual rating: 2.5/5)

This book had the potential to be really good, but I get the feeling that the narrative attempting to be told was ultimately lost between all of the perspectives that were used to tell it.

'All Girls' shows the aftermath of a sexual assault allegation at a Northeastern preparatory school, as told through the thoughts and experiences of nine different girls. The administration at the school desperately wants to brush the situation under the rug, but the girls and others rise up to tell their story, refusing to be silenced.

I think that part of the reason I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping to may have been because I was expecting too much. While there were some 'mystery' elements to this story, it's far more focused on how the girls learn to grow into themselves amidst all the happenings of the school.

Of course, that being said, I would have enjoyed it if the story and the girls' growth were told in a more meaningful way. The biggest problem I had with this book was all the perspectives that it used to tell the story. At one point, it gets to be entirely too much, and you start losing interest. I think that if this book were written with fewer perspectives, it would have made things easier to follow, but also easier to care for the characters and what they are each going through.

I also felt a bit disappointed by the pacing of the novel. It was slow and somewhat hard to get into, as far as the plot went. There was a fair amount of buildup but it never seemed to really go anywhere, if that makes sense. It was all quite lukewarm for me.

One of the best parts, however, was probably the cast of the audio production. They definitely kept things interesting enough for me to go through with the entire book.

Overall, while I think that some extremely important points were made about what it's like to grow up as a young woman with the 'system', it had a lot of potential and could have been executed in a far more impactful way. I would recommend this book to those who like coming-of-age arcs in the form of boarding school novels, but this didn't exactly make the cut for me.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sensitive and heartfelt debut novel about issues of sexual assault and consent at an all-girls boarding school. The nook confronts sexual assault in 1995, both as it was viewed then versus now in the #MeToo era.

I really enjoy the way Emily Layden writes. She really captures the feelings and atmosphere of being a girl turning into a young woman at a boarding school.

This book’s biggest strength is the same as its main weakness. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different student. On one hand, this allows for a really richly layered and interesting reading experience that really gives you a great sense of the school and its population. On the other hand, as soon as you grew to love or become extra interested in a girl, the story switches to another girl’s perspective. Lauren, the new student who begins the book; Macy, who has a really interesting story of being phobic of many types of food; Emma, who comes from a very traditional background but has been brave enough to be out with her girlfriend, a fellow student. These were all characters whose voices I loved. I really would have enjoyed spending more than one chapter inside their heads.

This is a promising debut on a timely subject from a really talented new writer. I’ll be looking out to see what she writes next.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and Emily Layden for the ARC of this very well-written first novel.

[el · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

all girls by emily layden is listed on google as a mystery, though i struggle to call it even that. most would expect build-up, suspense, discovery. in this novel, there is little to none. instead, this is a book shrouded in bureaucracy, almost meta-fictive: syntactically tedious, safe, evasive. while an alumnae's alleged rape is placed at the center of an all-girls boarding school in 2015 new england, there is never any real sense of danger and so the stakes remain minimal throughout the course of the narrative, even as faculty is swept up in sexual misconduct accusations and the ensuing public scrutiny.

by nature, the 1995 rape disrupts the contemporary culture of atwater in a very secondhand way, allowing current teenage girls to reevaluate their own sexual language, ideas, and even experiences. as such, the novel spends most of its time contemplating girls growing up too fast, or else girls clambering to keep up with the thrashing tide. the premise is promising without any knowledge of the novel's execution—though never at any point a mystery, unless readers are interested in the fate of the physical setting itself, rather than its inhabitants.

the question of who's behind several acts intended to pressure the school into addressing the rape is answered at the very end of the novel, with no lead-in or time to collect clues, culminating in an ultimately unsatisfying and arguably head-scratching conclusion. this is largely the fault of the novel's set-up.

all girls opens with lauren triplett, a wide-eyed freshman fascinated by signs accusing atwater of employing a rapist during her drive to campus on move-in day. this is a notably strong entry point into what i assumed would be a harrowing journey, though most of the novel's strengths end here. each chapter follows a new girl navigating atwater, volleying between grades, campus familiarity—or lack thereof—and varying degrees of involvement in the central "mystery" plot. the novel never settles and so readers are left scrambling to understand an ever-shifting narrative trying to capture too many angles at too slow a pace.

right when i felt like i was getting comfortable in a student's head, the novel pivoted and tossed a new character (and, by consequence, a new web of relationships) at my feet. in other words, it's impossible to ever feel comfortable reading all girls. less so when the central thread—a former student's rape—weakens with every chapter. attempts at capturing stories and lives are cut short by the choppy choice in third-person head-switching, so that very few characters ever have a chance to feel anything more than vapid or allegorical.

it's true that readers sign up for this when the synopsis calls the novel one "told through the shifting perspectives of an unforgettable cast of female students"—"unforgettable" being the ironic operative word. still, selecting a few essential students to rotate between as the plot thickens would seem smarter than splitting time between throw-away characters who do little to advance the so-called mystery. the head-shifting becomes particularly egregious in the final chapter, which is divided into fragmented vignettes from six separate seniors, most of whom, for the last 300 or so pages, were so uninvolved in the narrative as to be meaningless to readers after a nonexistent climax.

the effect is less novelistic and more like a short story collection. in fact, i can't help but think all girls would have been stronger in this format. as it is, the most interesting and plot-central characters receive the very least—olivia anderson, for example, head proctor and liaison to the administration on campus, introduced in chapter one and present throughout the novel, receives only one small perspective-specific vignette at the end.

which leads me to another issue i took with the novel. i was more often bewildered with the language used in and around students of color than not. olivia, for example, is one in several victims—and a repeated one, at that—of the novel's preoccupation with the idea of the token non-white girl or diversity scapegoat. instead of serving as a commentary on racist education practices, which i'm sure was the purpose of these references, olivia becomes just that, existing only through the ways she's consumed by others. she's never allowed to escape this racial perception. until the absolute end, this is her fate from even those closest to her, with no narrative remorse. attempts to—briefly, fleetingly—humanize herself are met with disregard. olivia is not humanizing herself, but pulling out "a trump card."

even as i type this review, i'm struggling to understand whether lines like, "...she can see that a few of the chinese students are home, the girls whose english never really caught up, despite three years of immersive-language study," are supposed to reflect the insular perspectives of white boarding school campuses or whether they're simply unintentionally absurd.

finally, there is the prose, which is often gratuitously descriptive, particularly where similes are concerned: "the buildings grow like runway models, now: tall and skinny and twisting in the wind," and, two pages later, "...his red windbreaker billowing behind him like a smallish parachute." this works to slow down the narrative, while alternately heightening all girls’ strong sense for aesthetic. you would be hard pressed to find a passage that more needlessly captures the teenage, the obsessive, the grotesque:

"she counts a smattering of blackheads at her chin. she begins by flicking a nail across a small whitehead near her eyebrow, listening to the tiny pop as it bursts. she examines the damage—minimal, none really, just a little red mark where there used to be a mountaintop of pus. leaning closer to the mirror, she places her forefingers on either side of the tip of her nose and then drags them in opposite directions, stretching the skin, before moving her fingers toward one another again. she watches as strings of discharge sprout from her pores, long and thin and solid enough to stand on end, like tiny bacterial beanstalks."

while not the biggest fan of the prose, i have to commend the novel for its ability to really ground itself in its setting. it is superbly fleshed out and the strongest foundation throughout the narrative. atwater—all its beauty, its twists and turns, its layers of history—are practically movie-rendered. the prose is bolstered in this regard. moving through the campus feels more than believable; it feels like layden is transferring a real place to the page. standout chapters like "fall fest" and "retrospectives" soar as the characters alternately connect and/or disagree with this setting.

the other strong point in the novel is undeniably the digital. the interludes, specifically, that separate each character's chapter/section, always serve to enhance the narrative and add something new/surprising to our glimpses of life on campus. likewise, all girls' understanding of teenage relationships with technology is impressive—certainly some of the strongest i've seen explored. the presence of tumblr and its ties to lgbt identity, in particular, are extremely well-done.

it's hard to truly summarize how i feel about this book, since the reading experience was so disjointed, but i have to say, mystery excluded, all girls is a slow, thoughtful rumination about power within the walls of western institutions—and to what ends that power is used—with several glaring problems. its nature writing is memorable and atwater leaps off of the page. more than that, though, its work to capture the realities of sex and sexual assault through adolescent eyes—the horrors, the embarrassments, the confusions and retrospective realizations—are impressive. for those with the patience and willpower, this is worth the read, if only for the social commentary it provides on sex.

[Allison Krulik · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really had high hopes for this book. The opening chapter grabbed my attention and I really though it was going to be intense.
I feel that the message the author was trying to get across was missed due to, basically, too much going on. Too many point of views and too many stories.
Also, there didn't seem to be any climax... I waited... and waited... but the story fell flat.
Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press for the free advanced copy in exchange for a review.

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus)]

DNF

I'm not sure why I keep doing this to myself. If you are a die-hard fan of the 'boarding school' subgenre you will probably enjoy this. Maybe it's my fault, maybe I'm just not in a 'YA' mindset but I have 0 interest in reading about this kind of tired dynamics. The writing did not help: the billboards idea seems a bit of a rip-off from a certain film, then we have descriptions such as "Her skin is smooth and poreless and racially ambiguous" (which begs the question, is 'racially ambiguous' a skin colour? Couldn't the author have described her skin tone ?), "Bryce is naturally thin, grown-up thin", and my 'favourite', "Their skin gleams like Gwyneth Paltrow's" (what kind of teenager would use Paltrow as a descriptor for 'gleaming' skin ? Wouldn't Beyoncé, who, like her or not, is an actual icon, have been a better fit here?).
Anyway, I'm too old or too jaded with this genre. I'm sure other readers will enjoy this much more than I was.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

All Girls by Emily Layden is a debut young adult mystery read. This one of course stood out to me yet again being set in a boarding school which usually for me becomes a great setting for a creepy mystery or thriller.

The book opens up following Lauren Triplett who is set to be a new freshman as she makes the journey on the way to the new school. As she approaches the school grounds however she begins to see signs posted along the way pointing to a rapist being somehow involved at the school.

The opening chapter to this one did pull me in and make me ready to get to a juicy story but it seemed as soon as I switched to chapter two it lost all the sparkle. You see this debut makes what I feel is a mistake in stretching too thin switching the point of view each chapter between way too many characters for this reader at least to take all in and care about.

Now, I did end up trudging my way through this book hoping for things to begin to gel together and reengage me in the story. This never did happen though as besides the too many points of view the mystery seemed to be really, really buried and instead the book felt as if it was a collection of short stories instead of one full mystery. There are those that did love this one but unfortunately I’m not among them.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

All Girls is a book that should’ve worked for me but just didn’t. It follows a variety of girls during one year of HS at an all girls boarding school. It started out really strong as one incoming freshman drives to campus with her parents and they see signs claiming a rapist works at the school. So a great. intriguing and powerful premise that just wasn’t executed well for me.

There were just way too many viewpoints here, every chapter is from a new POV and just when I would be warming up to a new character, the chapter would end and another new person was introduced. The strong messages got lost in this style for me unfortunately and truly the only thing that kept me going was the excellent audio narration. This had a full cast of narrators and they were all great, so if you’re interested in this book I highly recommend the audio. ⭐️⭐️ stars for the book but ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the narration leaves me at a 2.5-3 overall 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

Give me all of the books containing all of the elite academic settings, sinister mysteries, intense female friendships, and teen drama and I will be one very happy reader! This book, however, contained far less of the latter and more of the former, leading it to be a harrowing, absorbing, emotional, and important read.

[Provin Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a poignant and timely book. It’s centered around an all girls school and each character drives a different part of the story. In the beginning of the book we meet Lauren Triplett who is off to a new adventure at a new school. On her way to this new school she can’t help but see various signs talking about a rapist in the community. Lauren hopes it’s not happening at her new school but upon arrival finds out the signs have everything to do with her school.

We find out the history of the school, the experiences of past and present students and teachers, and what the schools position is on the accusations. As is in most similar situations, not enough is done, and it’s not done quickly enough.

[Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a poignant and sensitive novel exploring sexuality, women's issues, sexual assault, and how the era of #MeToo was felt in an elite boarding school rocked by scandal. Thank you so much to Emily Layden and St. Martin’s Press for this debut that comes out February 16th.

This book was about an elite boarding school in Connecticut that is linked to a sexual scandal. The school tries to control the crisis, while the girls deal with each of their individual issues. The book follows nine girls, each chapter exploring a different piece of the story. The story combines the power of the elite with the struggles many women have gone through in their lives, as well as navigating adolescence.

Thoughts: I thought this book was well-written and very timely. It was a coming of age story that looked at many different student’s attending a prestigious private school. I really enjoyed how each chapter was told from a different perspective and gave you different information. Each one is so interesting, and I actually felt myself wanting more of some chapter instead of them ending, sometimes abruptly. It is in NO WAY a mystery or thriller, which was also a bit of a letdown after being marketed as such. I wish books would be more accurately labeled, so readers would know exactly what they are getting into. Nevertheless, this story was a heartfelt narrative that explored meaningful topics. 3-stars.

[Andrea Giachino · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a great opening chapter introducing the reader to the character Lauren and setting the stage for her start at an all girls boarding school. Upon arrival, she sees signs that suggest a rapist lives on campus. Immediately attention grabbing; however the rest of this book fell flat.

Each chapter is told from the POV of a different student with little connecting each character to one another or the main story line of sexual assault on campus. The individual chapters would share insight, emotion, and experiences yet left me wanting to know more about that character's story as the book went on. I hoped the second half would go back to each character and expand on their story, but it did not. Often you would get to a climax moment only to have a page or two of the chapter left for a quick finish and onto the next character.

I also struggled because there truly is no climax in the story; within each chapter you found the peak and fall. Each chapter continues through the year and some have no reflection on the main issues presented to the reader. I often got lost in the story as various characters were introduced and connected to other characters I knew little/nothing about. It was a struggle to finish this book as I was not following a major story line and eager to know the outcome, rather each chapter presented something totally new.

[几ㄖ几丨 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't want to diss feminist literature, but this book was a really low point for me this week. It's one of those books that have really interesting descriptions, but the actual story is boring and annoying.




The plot was messed up. This is what was written in the description:

"A keenly perceptive coming-of-age novel, All Girls captures one year at a prestigious New England prep school, as nine young women navigate their ambitions, friendships, and fears against the backdrop of a scandal the administration wants silenced.

But as the months unfold, and the school's efforts to control the ensuing crisis fall short, these extraordinary girls are forced to discover their voices, and their power. A tender and unflinching portrait of modern adolescence told through the shifting perspectives of an unforgettable cast of female students, All Girls explores what it means to grow up in a place that promises you the world––when the world still isn't yours for the taking."

And this is what I read:

"A dully perceptive coming of age novel, All Girls captures one year at a not so prestigious New England prep school, as nine young women navigate their romantic adventures, empty friendships, and plenty of other boring additions against the backdrop of a scandal the administration wants silenced.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, as the months unfold, and as the school's efforts to control the ensuing crisis are barely seen at all besides some crappy, tacky emails and useless restrictions, these bright but shallow girls are forced to discover their voices, and their power that's hardly seen at all. A boring and dry portrait of modern adolescence told through the multiple perspectives of an annoying cast of female students, All Girls explores what it means to live in a boarding school that promises you the world--but really tries to make sure the world isn't yours for the taking"


This was not interesting. This was not feminist. This was a terrible attempt at feminist literature. How can you say that this book is about young girls finding their voices when one of them practically gets r**ed by a boy she likes but never reports it? And the mysterious teacher who's the reason behind the scandal that's the backdrop of this book? All that I'm mostly sure about is that he resigned, but we never learned ANYTHING about his identity. The whole thing was just a mess. I could have gone the rest of my life without reading this.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author’s debut starts with assurance and an intriguing narrative set in an elite girls’ boarding school. (Think Curtis Sittenfeld’s cult classic PREP.) But I DNF, for the same reason I DNF PREP. The boarding school world interests me not at all. I could not relate to sniveling teens and their artificial lives. Just me. I’m sure PREP lovers will adore ALL GIRLS. To each her own!

Pub Date 16 Feb 2021

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#AllGirls #NetGalley

[Ahaana Bhargava · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Girls is an eye-opening debut about finding yourself in the most unfamiliar situations. Unique, and captivating, it’s also about finding family in those around you, and not being afraid to voice your opinions even in places no one wants to hear them. I admired the way the author approached so many sensitive themes and topics, while not shying away, because these are such important topics to talk about, but there are just not enough people talking about them. Seeing all these perspectives seamlessly transition from one to another, and just being able to view all these diverse points POVs on the same topic, was something I cherished. All Girls was an enthralling, poignant book that kept me hooked till the last page, and managed to capture both my heart, and my attention.

READ MY FULL REVIEW OF ALL GIRLS HERE!

[Dun's · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in a prestigious all-girls boarding school in Connecticut, the story opens with move-in day that is tinged with concerns and questions about a sexual assault allegation by a former a student against a teacher.

Each chapter features POV of a different student, and there are 9 characters in total. I came to realize during the third chapter that the narrative is centered on the student's own coming-of-age struggles, issues, and revelations - with the assault allegation as the thin thread that connects all the stories. Despite the quite diverse (albeit not too distinct) POV, the main plot becomes a less important link and each chapter feels unfinished.

It was an okay but forgettable read for me (2.5 rounded up to 3 stars).

[Bill Kupersmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having attempted the genre myself, I knew how difficult the task Emily Layden set for herself in All Girls, and how much she accomplished, especially catching that quality a good boarding school gives, the difference between simply an education and a formation. Students not only learn things, but the school is essential to who they are for the rest of their lives. The last sentences brought it out: “Often what [the alumnae] feel is a very particular kind of ache, one that will spasm at random intervals . . . and when it does they’ll know: this is the longing you feel for a place that’s become a part of you. This is the yearning you carry when you never really leave.” I felt waves of that emotion when I attended the centennial celebration of my own old school and I’ve tried to capture it in an essay and a novel I wrote as I reflected on what it meant in my own life. I am hugely envious of Emily Layden’s embodiment of that ideal into The Atwater School. (As in The Johns Hopkins University, the definite article is part of the school’s official name, though none of the students made the obvious joke that it’s there to distinguish The Atwater School from all the other Atwater School imitations.) Atwater is, as the title boldly states, All Girls. Though I believe admitting girls is the best thing that can happen to a boys’ school (apparently Salisbury and South Kent are the only all-male boarding schools left in the vicinity), there is surely a necessary role for girls’ schools and women’s colleges—some learn and develop best in the absence of the boorish ill-mannered loutishness boys and young men display even with the civilizing effect female presence provides.

At the start of the 2015-16 school year, Atwater is shaken by an old crime from the past. A former student from 20 years back, Helen Mirro is suing the school, claiming she was raped by a faculty member who is still on the staff of the school. At the end of the first term a long-time faculty member resigns under a cloud but protesting his innocence and in spring Mirro’s suit is reported settled for an undisclosed amount. What really happened is mostly hidden in the story; the accusation and the suit—leading to an evaluation of the school’s historical handling of sexual abuse cases by an outside consulting group—serves less as main subject of the book than as a MacGruffin, a device to propel the plot, providing a point of reference for many of the events that take place in the course of the year. (NB: All Girls isn’t “propulsive,” it’s engrossing.) The final report of the consultants provides an egregious example of contemporary educationese babble: “Programming that helps students develop an understanding of healthy relationships, including education in sexual literacy and affirmative consent, will be most beneficial in establishing a climate of respect. The school has made clear its intention to assume leadership in sociological change.” (Unfortunately, like too many English majors back in my youth, I received my “education in sexual literacy” from Henry Miller and D. H. Lawrence. They proved somewhat unreliable guides.)

A boarding school, like a ship or a regiment, is its own microcosm and a great pleasure for the author of a school story is inventing your own little world, giving it a local habitation and a name. This setting is perfect, almost spot on with where I put my own imaginary Saint Aidan’s School, though unlike my imaginary town of Wensleydale, Falls Village is a real place in Connecticut. School story authors invent our own school rules and titles as well. Mrs. Brodie is Head of School (at my old school the current incumbent has that title, though I still feel I ought to address her as “headmistress”). Each dorm has a Proctor and a “Peer Educator”—“upperclasswomen”—under supervision of a “Dorm Parent” (clumsy title but unfortunately “housemistress” won’t do today).

The time spans from September till Commencement at the beginning of June, the book arranged in sections from the viewpoints of different students from freshmen to seniors (hard to keep Brie, Bella, Bryce and Blake straight) mostly signalled by a significant traditional school event, Initiation, Fall Frolic, Vespers (a talent show), Class Trip to New York, Prom, and Commencement. Some were fun: initiation involved nothing more threatening than a naked night run in the dark and most of the dares connected with Ringing, where juniors act silly at the behest of a senior who will present each with her class ring, are innocuous. But unhappily for Chloe it was, “I dare you to make out with a Westminster guy in the corn maze” at Fall Fest, when students at boys’ schools are invited to visit. It didn’t turn out to include “affirmative consent”!

As prep-school students, the Atwater girls are preoccupied with college admissions. Of course, “the trinity” of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are top choices. As a Hoya, I was pleased that Georgetown was well up in the hunt, even contributing an alumna (Atwater is good on Latin grammar, unlike too many America colleges who call a woman graduate “an alumni”☹️) for commencement speaker. Wellesley and Barnard figure too along with Pomona and Williams, though it was disappointing that only one girl had the good sense to choose one of the “public Ivies”—University of Michigan. All Girls mostly ignores the academic side, though APUSH (Advanced Placement United States History) gets some of the girls’ attention. But the accounts of the staff of the school paper, the Daily Heron, which does not appear daily, were delightful and accurate. The student editors imagine themselves Woodsteins and naturally think the suppression of the issue devoted to sex abuse at school a violation of their first amendment rights.

The section recounting the relationship between the lesbian couple Olivia and Emma was most perceptive emotionally, but also brought out the spiritual void at the center of Atwater, a preoccupation with self and absence of the sense of community the 24/7 common life at a boarding school should foster. The proctor Olivia is the Atwater cynosure, striking in appearance (her mother is Korean, her father African-American—surgeons at Stanford), talented, brilliant, and always in control in any situation. She has a relationship with Emma, from Cincinnati—provincial by Atwater standards. Their arrangement is pleasantly domestic; Olivia spends every night in Emma’s room in her dorm. “They practically live together, every day playing house. Their classmates think it’s cute and romantic.” But at the school Prom, held at the nearby estate of one of the girls’ parents, Oliva gets a look at Emma’s mobile phone whilst she goes to the bathroom and discovers an account on Tumblr and her messages with a college student in New Hampshire named Harper. It exposed what I thought the principal flaw in Atwater that Layden should have made explicit. As a proctor, Oliva neglected her duties in sneaking out to spend her nights with her lover. She should be in her dorm. Suppose there was a fire—or a shooting incident. These are her girls and she should be there for them. Similarly, Chloe should not have been in the corn maze as prey for a visiting Westminster boy for a ring-day dare. When the consultative group needed “preventive work . . . to create lasting change” in their sexual harassment policy, I wondered why the Dorm Parents and the Proctors and the Peer Educators had not already made it a condition of belonging that the girls should have each other’s backs.

Although academically and socially the Atwater ethos is lacking, All Girls totally captivated me. Almost from the start I felt this book could well be a boarding school classic, on the same level as Patrick Gale’s contemporary classic Friendly Fire and Melina Marchetta’s On the Jellicoe Road. It felt almost as if these girls were people I knew. Best American boarding school story ever.

[Peaches · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Spoilers included***
Like many people, boarding schools fascinate me, which is why I’ll be forever searching for a fictional book about one that is even half as compelling as Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep. Unfortunately, Layden managed to be overly ambitious and extremely boring at the same time. By the end, I was forcing myself not to skim in case something interesting happened, but I was met with more random brief character perspectives, a tradition of the school thrown in, then a lot of social justice commentary that seemed at once too obvious and also underdeveloped.

The plot is that a bunch of girls go to a boarding school where a teacher raped a student in the 90s and how this issue affects the girls in different ways. The victim is used as a symbol and never gets a voice or a perspective. The girls experience moments of trauma or times where they feel like they cannot be themselves, then they participate in school traditions and at the end feel positive about their time there? The rapist guy does resign rather than facing any consequences and he wasn’t even a character readers knew about until the middle of the book.

The worst part of this book is that it includes too many perspectives. I get it: the title is All Girls and Layden wanted it to be representative of as many adolescent girls at the school as possible, but the result was that this would have been better as a short story anthology chronicling periods in history rather than a year at the school because the characters were so static, dissociated from their emotions, and, frankly, dull overall. Sloane, the failed ballerina, and Emma, the cheating partner of the school golden couple, being slight exceptions at least in terms of interesting plots. It all just felt lazy and a little sad when Layden threw in vague references to social media like “Insta.” Knowing that Layden has taught at multiple all girls’ schools makes it even worse. She seems to be exploiting and/or projecting her perceived experiences of her students as an adult, which is inauthentic and explains a lot as to why this book just didn’t work. I should have heeded the lack of five star top reviews on Goodreads.

Some other parts were just unbelievable, like the Dean of Students watching the girls do their weird naked water plunge (58), or that Mrs. Brodie got to where she was with an M.Ed. rather than a doctorate or even a specialist degree. Plus, there were the really forced conversations about consent that were written like an adult looked up information on it and wrote it as a dialogue instead of teen girls discussing it, which is likely what happened (247).

Layden seemed to write her theme towards the end: “the portion of a culture that takes and takes and takes from girls, all the while refusing to recognize them as whole people” (288). It’s a great idea, but her execution made it come off as something tedious and disappointing, not meaningful and memorable. The topic of consent deserves better.

I did think some of the traditions were mildly interesting, such as the ringing, but Layden also lacked vivid descriptions to make them engaging.

[Jaksen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story about a rape accusation and its effect on the girls and staff at an elite, all-girls boarding school in upstate New York. The author’s take on dealing with this: constant POV shifts among a group of about nine young women of various ages, fourteen-eighteen, (high school freshmen to seniors.) Right from the start, the reader knows that an alumnus is suing the school, claiming she was raped by a teacher twenty years ago. Few details are given about this lawsuit, the victim, the crime, any of it. And any attempts to delve into what ‘really happened’ are conveniently squashed, and in the nicest manner possible. (I’m being a little ironic here.)

This lawsuit – and its claims – affect the girls in a variety of different ways: academics; social life; and the relationships between girls (and across the classes), as well as with the adults at the school. The POV shifts from chapter to chapter, from younger girls to older. It can be a confusing, almost claustrophobic read. I started with my sometimes-usual ‘cue cards,’ or index cards, jotting down names of each character with a brief description. I did this because after Chapter 2, I was saying: ‘Who was she? When? That’s the roommate? What? Isn’t she a freshman, no a senior.’ My head was sorta spinnin’.

Now I am getting old and being ‘confused by what I read’ does happen more often than it did in the past. Suffice to say, though, I’ve read some character-heavy books in which I didn’t get confused, so...

Just needed some help, but I gave up! I threw the cards away! Didn’t matter as every chapter introduces new characters even as it returns to previous ones because the girls interact, whether it’s on the school newspaper, during a ‘fall fest’ activity or on a field trip.



Information about the alleged rape is sparse, even as the girls are begging to know more. Throughout the book, however, are a series of ‘pranks’ which are pulled on the girls and staff. These come in the form of hacking into Instagram, or spreading posters about campus which elicit surprise, shock, questions, etc. (Wow, if my kid went to this school I’d have pulled her out by Halloween.) There are also a lot of ‘back stories’ on some of the girls, which in my opinion just threw me out of the most serious issue: The charge of rape. Did it happen? Why and how? Who was it?



But despite everything, the book did pull me out – way out – of my usual reading material, which of late, has been mostly mysteries. Yet only three stars for a book which was well-written, but literally all over the place. Had the writer focused on a smaller group of three or four girls I think I would have enjoyed it more, and been a lot less confused.

Three, cue-cardless stars.

[Rajiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

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“All Girls” is a captivating story that dwells into the students’ lives and drama in an elite prep school, and I liked it.

I thought the author did a lovely job for a debut novel. At times, I felt like I was reading a book of short stories because you can read each chapter as a stand-alone. Moreover, I enjoyed the level of details the author put into the storyline and the characters. Each character stands out from one another and experiences something different about their prep school life. Some of them come from different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities, and I enjoyed reading their storylines. One of my favorite passages was when the characters talk about the sand mandala and its significance. There are some storylines that I felt were powerful. My favorite ones were the “Fall Fest” revolving around Chloe and “Field Trip” revolving around Sloane. Also, the author interestingly formats each chapter that ends with the end correspondence on a parallel storyline.

However, I initially picked up this book because it markets itself in the mystery genre. But, there is not much of a mystery element. The story begins in a pleasant suspenseful manner, but the storyline revolving around the rapist always takes a backseat and is resolved halfway. While I enjoyed all the girls’ storylines, the story felt it lacked a higher plot that connects all of them. I had hoped that storylines revolving around the character (from each chapter) would get together and culminate in a higher storyline towards the end.

Overall, I think “All Girls” would have been amazing if it had an overarching storyline with a better direction. Nevertheless, it is still entertaining at times and worth reading.

[Bernie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could say, “you have to read this book!” but I can’t. It’s also not one I feel like I have to dissuade you from reading. Personally, I didn’t think it was particularly good or bad; it was just okay.

Picture this: We’re at a prestigious 4-year boarding school in Connecticut. We’re following 9 girls as they start their academic year unlike any other as a rape allegation resurfaces against one of the male teachers and a student that attended the school 20 years earlier.

I appreciate the conversation this tried to have about how women are rarely believed when they speak out about their sexual assault and the lengths schools will go to save their prestigious names, even if it means letting a rapist teach at their schools.

Unfortunately, the way it was written took away from the impact.

In each section of the book, we’re following one of the nine girls, and the way the story was priced together made it feel like I was reading 9 short stories rather than one cohesive story. There were just so many characters in such a short amount of time that I couldn’t find myself really caring for any of them. I even found myself forgetting most of their names as I was reading the book, which makes me wonder if the characters weren’t interesting enough for me to remember. Or maybe I just have a horrible memory.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of ALL GIRLS by Emily Layden in exchange for my honest review.***

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to go to boarding school, possibly due to the Madeline books about little girls in two straight lines. Now I’ll still do anything to get my hands on a boarding school book, so I knew ALL GIRLS would be a must read.

I fell right into freshman Lauren Triplett’s ride to school, seeing signs at announced a rapist at her all girls’ academy, eager to read the fall out. Unfortunately, each chapter was told from a different student’s third person point of view, so readers aren’t able to see an individual’s perspective for the entire school year.

Emily Layden fleshed out each character so that she felt like a real person, rather than just a character in a book. The topical story about a rape allegation swept under the rug, the victim dismissed and even blame could have very well been nonfiction. Layden’s storytelling is less “ripped from thr headlines” and more “let me tell you what happened at my school”, because sexual abuse and coverup is so pervasive sensationalization does a disservice to victims and secondary victims.

Ultimately, ALL GIRLS left me wanting more, one girl’s whole story of that pivotal year.

[Jessica Haider · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atwater is a prestigious all girls prep school in Connecticut which attracts the best and the brightest. They have a stellar image until an alum announces that 20ish years ago, she was raped by a faculty member when she was a senior at the school. She says the school covered it up and asked her to leave. She also says the teacher wasn't punished and still works at the school. Over the course of a school year, we see the impact of this scandal on 7 different girls at the school. They each have issues of their own, most related to power, sex, or being their true self.

Each section of the book is told from the 3rd person point of view of a different student. It was almost like 7 interconnected short stories. The overarching narrative was more about the school and how the faculty and students address the scandal than it was about any of the individual girls. I connected with some of the students more than others and wish I could have followed their stories for longer. It was a challenge to remember which girl was which between the various sections. There were too many characters, in my opinion. The book would have had more impact for me, if the number of POV's was reduced

What to listen to while reading...
Campus by Vampire Weekend
Youth by Daughter
Read All About It, Pt III by Emeli Sande
Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood
Comfort Crowd by Conan Gray
Hallelujah by k.d. lang
Out of My League by Fitz & the Tantrums
Teenage Talk by St. Vincent
Stubborn Love by The Lumineers
Call your Girlfriend by Robyn

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. I'd glanced at the reviews, so I knew it was told by a different POV each chapter, which was a good thing to be prepared for.

I just . . . it did a good job of showing the world as it is, both the flaws AND the good things. Like, it didn't feel without hope, you know? It didn't make me feel like boarding schools were a terribly evil thing, which I kinda thought it might.

Also what a perfect title for the book. All Girls. Yes.

(I didn't go to boarding school, but I was one of those kids who super wanted to. :D)

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre:/Literary Fiction/Women’s Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub. Date: Feb. 16, 2021
My rating: 2.5

Mini-Review

This novel is marketed for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld’s, “Prep,” which I am. That novel is set in an American boarding school, “a hotbed of privilege, ambition, and neurosis, every bit as snobbish and competitive as anything dreamed up on this side of the Atlantic”. ... Google Books. That pretty much sums up “All Girls” but, add in a sexual assault of a former student by a male teacher that took place twenty years ago. The girl is now a woman, who wants revenge on the school for kicking her out and covering up the teacher’s crime. The girls in the present, attempt to figure out who the teacher was so the story morphs into a mystery. The reader will follow nine students, which would have been okay if the author had spent time on their character development. However, this is not the case. Each character comes and goes so quickly that there is no time to be acquainted with them. It is easy to get lost on who is who. This is a shame because the novel has much potential. Layden does such a good job of capturing boarding school female teenage angst. With a good editor, “All Girls” would then read more like “Prep.”

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

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