Goodbye Malory Towers

Malory Towers #12

by Enid Blyton, Pamela Cox

After taking their Higher Certificate, the sixth formers want to relax this term. But the Head has a surprise: a finishing school course, with old girl Gwendoline Lacey as teacher. Yet someone is determined to drive her out - and it takes the return of Darrell to solve the mystery.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Boarding School, School Stories, Middle Grade, School, Adventure

240 pages, Paperback

Published September 7, 2009

About the author

Please don't merge with Enid_Blyton
This author profile has been created as Enid^^Blyton to form a collective profile for all commissioned works, by various authors, published under the author name of "Enid Blyton" but nor actually written by herself.

Reviews

[Lindley Walter-smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really not a bad extension novel at all, although it had some issues. The feel of it is, if not Blyton, at least tolerably Blytonesque. There is still the problem that very few of the new girls, Bonnie aside - Bonnie is great, and unfortunately not in it much - have any defined personality. Worse, neither does Felicity nor Susan. Having Gwen back and treated more sympathetically, and giving her a gruff-voice down-to-earth girlfriend, was particularly great.

The big problems for me were:
* Not properly understanding the period or the world. At the old girls' reunion, every single flipping girl has a career. Now, the "special" ones like Mavis and Irene, fair enough, but you can't tell me that those many years later in that period none of them would be housewives. I can't see Daphne's ideal future as anything but marrying well. The plot also turns on a massive misunderstanding of the role of housemaids and kitchen maids (completely undistinguished in this book) at the school - they are in no way the girls' personal maids, and it simply wouldn't be possible for schoolgirl!Gwen to have made one's life hell for years making her do all her mending and fetching and carrying.
* Demonising the maid. Who has her living to earn, which doesn't matter at all. Yuck.
How the hell would Gwen earn enough teaching deportment to the sixth form to "help her family" with the money? Especially once her room and board were deducted?
* Forgetting things about Gwen that really were relevant. Darrell, Bill and Clarissa kept writing to her after she left. Darrell would know she was back at the school. Bill and Clarissa are particularly significant. They kept writing to her, they are living freaking next door, they run in and out of the school all the time to see Miss Peters (as per the other extensions), but they never bothered to drop in on their old schoolmate and say "Hello, welcome back" until the old girls' reunion? When they were two of the only three girls to make an effort to keep in touch with Gwen? That seems... uncharacteristically unkind of them.
* Crushes Are Bad. (This might explain why B&C were absent, I guess.) And a girl who normally doesn't take any interest in others taking a kindly interest in a girl with a crush on her has to be stomped n by "kind, sympathetic" Head Girl Felicity, who resorts to mocking a first-former's weight. Nice.
* It was mentioned that Amanda couldn't make it to the reunion - but what about Moira, Catherine, Ruth and Mam'zelle's niece? Did they just cease to exist the way Daphne did in sixth form? I was very sad not to see Moira.

In the end, despite the good points, these frustrations prevented me from really enjoying it. Which is sad, because proper school story plots like balancing games and lessons are always a lot of fun.

[Manybooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though the final novel of Pamela Cox’ Malory Towers continuations does read and flow smoothly, provides an adequate and sufficiently interesting conclusion of their years at Malory Towers for Felicity Rivers and her sixth form classmates and also stylistically and to a large point even thematically really mirrors and follows in Enid Blyton’s textual footsteps, whereas ALL of the other five Pamela Cox Malory Towers continuances (and yes, even those I have not wholeheartedly managed to completely enjoy) ALWAYS do make common sense with regard to logic, with regard to Enid Blyton’s boarding school reality, sorry, but in my humble opinion, there is one huge and totally problematic lack of authenticity and narrational truth present in Goodbye Malory Towers, a presented scenario which really in no way is even rudimentarily realistic with regard to how Pamela Cox has presented Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers experience and setting.

For that in Goodbye Malory Towers the main villain who has been relentlessly harassing and hounding Old Girl and new Malory Towers mistress Gwendolyne Lacey turns out to be one of the boarding school maids (with Daisy intent on avenging herself on Gwendolyne because of how during Gwen’s time at Malory Towers as a student, she had supposedly very often been dismissive, rude and snidely nasty to the boarding school maids), since there is NEVER ANY MENTIONS by Enid Blyton of there even being maids at Malory Towers, it really does majorly annoy me how in Goodbye Malory Towers there is suddenly a vindictive and spiteful domestic employee named Daisy present (who really just materialises out of thin air so to speak and who does seem to have been added by Pamela Cook soley so there could be a villain for returning Old Girls Darrell Rivers and Alicia Johns to catch out).

And while without the “Daisy the maid is the villain” ending, I might well have considered a solid three star rating for Goodbye Malory Towers, the lacking in sense and logic presence of school maids in Goodbye Malory Towers and that Pamela Cox in my humble opinion also and actually seems to suddenly narrationally insinuate that Malory Towers is some kind of exclusive boarding school with many domestics catering to the attending students (which from Enid Blyton’s original texts simply and really is NOT the truth, as Blyton always points out and indeed rather majorly and vehemently how Malory Towers is such a down-to-earth and decidedly against frippery and extravagances school), well, I have most definitely been thoroughly annoyed and even more than a trifle offended by this and to such an extent that to and for me, my personal rating for Goodbye Malory Towers is but one star and a feeling of totally frustrated disappointment.

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sad, but good conclusion to a much loved series. Malory Towers is one of the book series that got me into writing stories in the first place. In Felicity Rivers' final term as head girl, she and her friends are determined to let their hair down and have fun. With the return of an old student as a teacher, things turn creepy when she starts receiving threats and her classroom damaged. Who has a grudge against her? A student, another teacher or a family member? An old reunion featuring Darrell Rivers (Felicity's older sister) may just be able to solve the mystery. This would have been a five star read, had more of the older characters from Darrell's year be featured. It was quite fast in pacing, slightly too fast so I didn't feel so much of a strong impact as I would have liked.

[Ruby Granger · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a pleasure to return to Malory Towers, despite the fact that I am now far too old for the series! Seeing as Felicity and her friends have just a term left at school, there is underlying melancholy in the book but also great excitement. Cox handles this tricky rite of passage well and I really do recommend this to anybody who is going to be leaving school soon.
A new character, Lizzie, additionally reminded rather a lot of myself for she does little more than study! The only problem is that she neglects her school life as a result and does not properly enjoy her time at Malory Towers. Though of course, as always, there is a reason behind this...

[Kavita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gwendoline Mary Lacey is back!!! She is to return to Malory Towers as a teacher now, teaching the older students a bit of what she had learned at her finishing school. Meanwhile, Felicity and the gang are in the sixth form, their last term at school. Lots of drama ensue, with a reunion of the old students, a mystery solved, and a normal school story.

There is just one new girl, Lizzie, who is serious and focused on her studies so much that she refuses to take any time off. Her younger sister, Edith, who joins the first form, is hounded by Lizzie to not have any fun and to only focus on studying. Is she just a domineering sister or does she have a reason behind her behaviour?

There is a lot of first form stuff, which rather dragged. The story also jumped around quite a bit and Cox kept switching focus randomly between several plots. The writer does not seem to understand how to weave the different plots together in a nice Blyton-like manner.

Another main plot revolves around Gwen who is being persecuted and framed for things she did not do in a bid to make her unpopular with both students and teachers and to make her lose her job. It was ultimately Alicia and Darrel who solve this mystery. Cox randomly introduces new characters and changes canon to suit her plot, which did not sit right. Randomly saying things happened when they didn't is not very good writing!

I loved how Gwen develops even further and I could almost forgive the author for all her faults. This is the ending she deserved, with Malory Towers making amends to her for failing her! The final foray into nostalgia was also enjoyable!

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable still, however the plot seemed jumpy and characters seemed a little duller. It was difficult to grasp what Gwen's personality is like after a few years, and the author never seems to make up her mind what to do with her. The feature of the maids (or rather just maid) felt terribly out of place and was completely unbelievable, and while the old girls' reunion was a lovely idea, there were characters missing without explanation and those who were present were given very little chance to show any of their personality. Felicity encountered no real bumps in the road in her time as head girl, and she is so lacking in personality that she is quite the Mary-Sue in the end, as is Susan. The most interesting characters we encounter in the six follow-up books are Bonnie and Olive, the latter of which is only around for one book and the other gets little time to shine after her introductory story. Cox recycles many plots from the original series, which, plus the very similar set of characters, makes for rather repetitive reading at times.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darrell and her friends are back for a reunion so we find out what they are doing. It's quite a satisfying end to the Malory Towers stories. Although, I'm a little sad they're over.

[Umama A. Talha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww it feels like saying goodbye to our own school!! Had a lot of fun with these lovely girls of Malory Towers!

[Lucy Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good this was definitely the best one by far there was so many plot twists and things you would never expect but I’m really sad now because I’ve finished them all 🤣

[Nina Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series because its such a nice and happy story and its soooo much fun to read👍💖💞

[Megha C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never actually a fan of Pamela Cox's books as I thought her books either borrowed a lot of subplots from Blyton's earlier books or were simply too far fetched. Still the Malory towers extension series are a fun read. But Goodbye Malory towers were the weakest of the lot!! Come on, the teachers at Malory towers seem to actually look down on finishing schools! Would they actually have a subject on etiquette? And what happened to Gwendoline Mary's father? Going to finishing school would not exactly have helped her support her family right!

To top it all, the main "villain" in the story is a maid-who supposedly takes revenge on Gwen for meting out poor treatment to the former during her own school days at Malory Towers! Where exactly
in Blytn's books was there a more than the bare minimum interaction between the students and the help?

The earlier books in the series are definitely a lot more satisfying.

[Almudena · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was hard saying goodbye to Malory Towers the first time, and, it doesn’t get better this time either. One of those books that stay with you forever, capable of making you laugh and cry of the same time, just pure Enid Blyton.

[Vanshika Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felicity's days of fun are coming to an end and she's determined to make every minute of her last term at Malory Towers. Believe me this is a true page turner. With this book even I came to an end after enjoying every minute of reading the entire series.

[Liz Yardley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not by Enid Blyton. However you would be hard to pick this.
A seamless transition from one writer to the next.
A good read for a 10-12 y.o.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felicity and friends return to Malory Towers for their final term to find an unexpected addition to their schedule: They are to attend finishing school classes, taught by none other than Gwendoline Lacey, Darrell's unpopular former classmate, who is trying to turn over a new leaf. But someone is trying hard to drive her out, sabotaging her classroom, stealing her belongings, and even going so far as to masquerade as Gwen to cause trouble. It's not until Gwen's old classmates arrive for a reunion that the mystery of who's behind all this might get solved.

An enjoyable finish to the series. Predictable, sure, but an entertaining read nonetheless.

[Annebeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great nostalgic book! This one was even better with loads of references to the Darrell series and guest appearances.

[Farseer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The top-voted reviews at this time show how difficult it is to please all people. I'd like to give my take on some of the objections:

* Not properly understanding the period or the world. At the old girls' reunion, every single flipping girl has a career. Now, the "special" ones like Mavis and Irene, fair enough, but you can't tell me that those many years later in that period none of them would be housewives --> this much is true, but it's not Pamela Cox's fault. Here (like in much of what she does in her continuation books) she is following Blyton's lead, who, in one of her Malory towers books, had the girls discussing their projects after school, and the vast majority of them had some professional aspiration. I think partially it's wish fulfilment, but it's also true that not all women would marry straight out of school. It would be normal for many of them to start some career and then abandon it when they got married and had children. Remember also that Blyton wrote her MT novels in the late 40s and early 50s, not in the 19th century. There were more career opportunities for women at that point, particularly with so many young men wiped out in the war, although of course far from what's now possible.

* Demonising the maid. Who has her living to earn, which doesn't matter at all. Yuck. --> I'm all for being sensitive to the plight of underprivileged people, but this sure is a weird complaint right after the previous one, since it shows a very modern way to look at things. People in the time period also were sensitive to the plight of underprivileged people, but in a different way. They recognized the merit of improving your plight by working hard and honestly, but would not suggest that poverty excused thievery, or suggest that just because a character is underprivileged she can't also be a thief. People are judged according to their actions, not their origins. Also, there are other situations during the series where a more privileged character turns out to be a thief. Anyway, the maid here is not treated badly. She is simply dismissed, and the police is not notified, so she's free to seek another job. Surely you see she can't remain after all the malicious and dishonest behavior.

* Forgetting things about Gwen that really were relevant. Darrell, Bill and Clarissa kept writing to her after she left. Darrell would know she was back at the school. Bill and Clarissa are particularly significant --> Cox mentions that Darrell and Gwen wrote to each other for a while, but eventually stopped. Which seems to me very realistic, even for school friends, which Darrell and Gwen were not. The same goes for Bill and Clarissa keeping in touch with Gwen.

* Crushes Are Bad. (This might explain why B&C were absent, I guess.) --> Again, another modern take I have to disagree with. B&C play a prominent role in some of Pamela Cox's novels, just not in this one. And attributing that to "crushes are bad" is something I can't agree with, partly because of that prominent role they played in other of the continuation novels, and partly because this female close relationship equals lesbian is another very modern take. You can certainly interpret it that way if you want (females with common interest starting a business together and living together as bachelors), but you won't find anything in Blyton's novels to support it being a sexual partnership. People of the same gender can be friends and business partners and even live in the same house without being gay. However you choose to interpret this relationship, though, the fact is that neither Blyton nor Cox have a problem including these characters in the plots of the novels when they deem it necessary.

* It was mentioned that Amanda couldn't make it to the reunion - but what about Moira, Catherine, Ruth and Mam'zelle's niece? Did they just cease to exist the way Daphne did in sixth form? I was very sad not to see Moira. --> I think this is also something that has its origin in Blyton's writing. It's how these books work. Each book, the plot is driven by a couple of new girls who provide a lot of the conflict and suspense. Then after the book, they leave and are replaced by the next batch of new characters. Some remain (Bonnie), but most do not. It's how the books were structured from the very beginning.

* suddenly narrationally insinuate that Malory Towers is some kind of exclusive boarding school with many domestics catering to the attending students (which from Enid Blyton’s original texts simply and really is NOT the truth --> I'm very puzzled by this objection, also. It's true that Blyton's novels do not feature maids. Apart from the teachers, Miss Grayling and Matron, only the kitchen staff and an old school caretaker is mentioned in Blyton's books, as far as I remember. However, surely you are not assuming that an expensive boarding school is functioning without any domestic staff. Sure, Malory Towers is not the kind of elite boarding school where the girls are pampered and have their every need attended to by maids. They are expected to make their own beds and keep their dorms in order. But from there to no domestic staff whatsoever there's a huge leap. Someone has to be washing the bathrooms, corridors, classrooms, also washing clothes... Do you think the girls did all the domestic work, in addition to their classes, schoolwork, plays, sports and other activities?


Anyway, coming back to the novel, I enjoyed it, as I have enjoyed all of Pamela Coxes continuation novels in this series. It very much follows the formula Blyton established. Perhaps it's too formulaic, you could say, although I can not blame Cox for that, as it's what I think people expect and want in a continuation novel. Her style is not quite the same as Blyton's, but it's a reasonable approximation.

In fact, there's one element in Cox's novels that I actually enjoyed more than in Blyton's: Cox's stories are more nuanced and less heavy-handed in their treatment of antagonists. Blyton often allowed redemption to her villains, but at the very end, after they had made many mistakes. Cox often makes those characters more nuanced, rarely making them act like complete villains.

I think overall Cox did an excellent job, and I don't minimize the difficulty, because Blyton has a storytelling talent that makes her stories very compelling, and it's not easy writing in the same series without disappointing. For me, these Cox novels can be placed beside Enid Blyton's Malory Towers novels without reservations, which is the highest compliment I can give to a continuation novel.

[Rushati Mukherjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decided to go back to the old favourites after finding this book on the shelf of the child I tutor. This book, of course, is not by Enid Blyton but rather by Pamela Cox, and I was happy to see that she has addressed some of the glaring issues in the original books, such as the rather blatant sexism and dictation of how young girls "should" be, while very successfully retaining the original warmth of tone and sparkling vivacity of character and situation. Usage of phrases like "jolly good" made me smile, not only because of their quaintness but also by their mere presence! Although the plot was rather hastily concluded, it was very enjoyable. It was lovely and nostalgic and very /right/ to revisit the old familiar landscapes and characters and problems, so liberating somehow, taking me back not only to comfortable times but also comforting mindscapes, to territories I knew and trusted. My kid (!) no doubt thinks I'm crazy for wanting to read a book a fifth grader reads, and sighing/ laughing out loud to myself in the process!

[Harini Gopalswami Srinivasan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on Enid Blyton's beloved Malory Towers series, this book is the last of a series by Pamela Cox, following the school career of Felicity Rivers, Darrell's younger sister. I haven't read the others, and stumbled on this by accident. Unfortunately, the book seems to retain only Blyton's sanctimonious tone, unleavened by the sparkle, wit and sheer fun that she breathed into the original series. That said, it was a pleasant read, and intriguing to see what had become of all the old Blyton characters. Gwen and Jo! I would never have believed that they'd make a comeback if I hadn't read it with my own eyes!

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this before work today, and my god it was a huge help to think of this instead! Let's just say work wasn't fun today. I loved the way Pamela Cox handled these books. They're just what I wanted out of a sequel series to the original Mallory Towers books. I couldn't have imagined them better. The characters were spot on, the storylines fun and realistic, things Enid might have written about.

Can't recommend these highly enough, five stars for the series and this book too!

[Millie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really cool and exciting, you should read the first book of the series and then the rest. I read a year ago but i still remember it because it was absolutely amazing!!! I hope you will try to read it because it is worth it! It is about girls at a boarding school.....I wont tell you the rest!!!

[Tanvi Sthalekar · Rating 5 out of 5]

After taking their Higher Certificate, the sixth formers want to relax this term. But the Head has a surprise: a finishing school course, with old girl Gwendoline Lacey as teacher. Yet someone is determined to drive her out - and it takes the return of Darrell to solve the mystery. I hope you read this book.

[Pervinca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was super!! A great end to the story. I loved the appearance of the old girls - it always made me sad that we didn't know what they grew out to be, but now we do!. It's a proper goodbye, while at the same time, the door is slightly open in case a new generation (Daffy and her friends) want to pop up

[Martha Perks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I can't believe it's the end of the series though. I did love how Pamela Cox fitted the previous girls into the book so we could see what happened to them. I hope to find a book like this soon. I finished this in a day so obviously, it's pretty good!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nostalgic ending to the best school series ever! Even as a 27 year-old, I still wish I could go to Malory Towers!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story. A bit unbelievable due to the author tying up every loose end possible.

[Karen Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malory Towers has come to an end with this final book in the series. Pamela Cox finishes the series with flair and grace, reuniting the old girls of Malory Towers (Darell Rivers & co) and the new girls (Felicity Rivers and her gang). It was quite refreshing to catch up with all the old favorites. We now know that Darell is working as a reporter, Sally is a nurse, Mavis is a famous opera singer and Alicia is working with the police force (putting that sharp brain to good use!). There is also the thrilling case of Gwendolyn Lacy, an ex student of Malory Towers who has come back to teach an etiquette class. For those who remember Gwen in the original series written by Enid Blyton, you'd remember her as a snobbish, spiteful and spoilt girl.

But in this final book, Gwen has greatly changed and is taken down a peg, humbled by her wrongdoings and finally making a true friend. However, her old past comes back to haunt her and most of the story is spent speculating about the identity of a spiteful old enemy who intends to make her teaching career at Malory Towers a big flop!

This book is significant for several reasons which I will list below. I thought it was pretty good and a sensible end to the series.

1. The girls have shown outstanding character growth! I feel they have really matured into understanding, wise and practical people. June has put her rebellious and headstrong ways behind her and decided to train hard to be a games teacher. Felicity Rivers wants to become a doctor. Even the girls who aren't very good at studying and did not take the Higher Cert were not pessimistic about their future. Instead, they chose practical careers that suit their skills. Amy and Bonnie want to set up a premium dress shop, making use of Amy's finances and Bonnie's sewing skills. Alice is going to work for her father and isn't ashamed of it. I liked that the girls' different ambitions were addressed with kindness and understanding. Nobody made fun of each other for being less smart than the others or not knowing what to be yet.

2. We get 2 new characters this term: Lizzie and Edith. Lizzie is a proper wet blanket and stick in the mud who is constantly harassing her sister Edith because she fears Edith is having way too much fun and she isn't studying. Lizzie is so worried about her studies that she neglects time for sports or leisure because she believes she is here on her uncle's charity. How will he react if he finds out that Edith has been making friends with Daffy and planning a midnight feast?

Lizzie's serious character is a fascinating foil to the other girls because she is the only girl who is too interested in studying to have any other hobbies. There's a wake-up call and a message to lead a balanced life in this book too because the other girls soon put Lizzie firmly in her place. I like how Lizzie learns not to control her sister's life and allows Edith to make her own decisions and mistakes.

3. The mystery of Gwen's spiteful enemy was sustained and well-organized. We get a few strange events happening and there are accusations abound as it seems that someone really has it out for Gwen. Masquerading as her, stealing her things, wrecking her classroom...I think this might be the most brutal treatment of a teacher anyone has ever seen! The book dealt with the malicious individual very maturely and revealed that sometimes, the people we think are innocent can turn out to be very sly and vicious on the inside. Looks can be deceiving. But on the other hand, it also showed us that what comes around goes around. Gwen's beastly personality in her younger days finally came back to haunt her and what a haunting that was!

The ending was great as well and I'm pretty glad the series came to an end. The character traits and events are a bit repetitive at times but I mostly read this to relax anyway so I don't mind.

[Nebuchadnezzar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the Malory Towers series growing up but had discarded my old copies. All these years later, I revisited the series and found out that there were 12 new books added. I wasn't sold on them until I saw that they continue Felicity's story, and I thought why the heck not?

And they're... fine.

They're certainly not terrible, and if they weren't being compared to the original Blyton books, I'd think they were pretty good. My overall gripes with the six new books:

1. Felicity isn't really the main character, and most of her development comes very early in the new series. This means there isn't room to grow or much conflict in the rest of the books, and so her character takes a backseat.

2. We don't get many new girls who stay at Malory Towers as the series progresses. In the Blyton books, most of the additions in the later books stayed on at the school, e.g., Belinda, Mavis, Bill, Clarissa, Daphne, etc. Off the top of my head, only Zerelda leaves, which makes sense as she's American. Most of the girls in the new books depart at the end, or come in too late to stay longer than 1-2 books. This means for most of the series, the cast is very bare, and consists mostly of average, nice girls who aren't very interesting.

3. Many of the girls are bland and don't get development, with the caveat that even the "problematic" girls have redeeming qualities. Amy seems like she would be the Gwendoline type, but the author makes it clear that she is a loyal friend. Bonnie is the most fleshed-out, since she can be manipulative, but she's also honest and determined when it counts. We get two "horse mad" characters, and while being "horse mad" isn't their defining trait, the author can't seem to make up their mind about it. In #3, Bill gets into a lot of trouble because of her fixation with horses, but here, the extent of the "horse madness" is visiting the stables and riding a lot. In a way, the girls are more realistic, because they aren't pigeonholed into stereotypes or narrow interests, but it does seem much less entertaining overall. In the end, Amy never really seems to learn any life lessons, which again, I suppose is realistic.

4. Many of the characters are imitations of the girls in the original Blyton books. We have the sharp-tongued class clown or trickster (June), the mean snob (Amy), the horse fanatics (Julie and Lucy), the Reliable Girls Malory Towers Will Be Proud Of (Felicity, Susan, Pam), the talented musician (Gillian), and the serious girl (Lizzie). Some other characters I shan't mention, because they don't stick around long enough.

Generally, there seems to always be a mystery in each of the books, and it can take the entire book to resolve. That is very strange to me, because these aren't mystery books. Truthfully, many of the mysteries weren't interesting to me, and I tended to forget about while reading about the everyday happenings at Malory Towers.

Certainly, in this book (#12), the mystery involves a retcon, and is wholly unnecessary. I think these mysteries play a large role in creating tension because the sixth form are so well-behaved, nothing really happens to or with them. Perhaps as a result of this uninteresting state of affairs with the sixth, #12 focusses very, very heavily on the goings-on with the first form, who are unruly and out of control. I find it hard to believe that any first form class could persist with such behaviour under the thumbs of Miss Potts and Matron (admittedly, the former was given something of a personality change almost in #11) but at least there's conflict going on between the first-formers that drives a lot of the action in the book.

I've reread the original books countless times, and while I don't hate the new series, I find it unlikely that I'll revisit them any time soon.

[Eng Elysse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the last book of the Malory Tower series, where Felicity is in the sixth form and gets assigned the head girl. Head girl of the sixth means head girl of the whole school. As sixth former, they have their own studies 1 study to every 2 girls. So, of course, Felicity and Susan, June and Freddie, Pam and Nora,etc. Daphne, also known as Daffy, is in the first form this year and is Sally's, Darrell's best friend, younger sister. During the school year, Gwendoline Lacey, a girl from Darrell's form, is now teaching at Malory Towers. She teaches the sixth form for a few classes a week. Darrell comes back to boarding school for a surprise that she never told Felicity. From their dormitory, they saw Bill and Clarissa riding on horseback to the stables and later saw Irene and Belinda walking through the school gates. Most of the girls went running out of the dormitory to the gates and Felicity saw Darrell. Felicity was shocked and went running to her, although Darrell hasn't seen her yet. Felicity asked why was she and Bill, Irene, Belinda and Clarissa here. Darrell said that they were having an old girls meet. At that second, Alicia appeared and came down running June. This was a huge surprise for both June and Felicity, as Darrell is Felicity's sister and Alicia is June's cousin. Darrell also told them that they were to stay in the third form's common room as they were out on a field trip. Felicity enjoyed her very last moments at Malory Towers and then she had to say godbye

[Catsalive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having just finished Last Term at Malory Towers I thought I'd read one of the Pamela Cox additions just to see what they were like. I chose this one because it said Darrell, Sally, Alicia & a few of the other "old girls" played a cameo role.

While it did feel a little Blytonesque, I thought the tale was a bit too sensational & the dialogue a bit too flippant to have the true Enid Blyton atmosphere. As for Miss Grayling having a gossip with Felicity about other pupils' circumstances, I was a bit horrified by it. I did feel sorry for poor Lizzie, Mrs Mannering must be an idiot to have taken 6 years to realise her mistake. It was fun to have one more glimpse of the of the Upper Sixth of 1951.