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Old School Ties
Tracey Mortimer is 33, stuck in a dull marriage that's only tolerable because her husband is rarely at home; and her days with two children are a never-ending round of kids' TV and alphabetti spaghetti. It's a long way from being the Most Popular Girl in the School ...So when a TV company decides to make a reality-style show on a perfect school reunion it could be Tracey's chance to re-live the good old days. But not all her ex-classmates remember their school days in quite the same way. Tracey made Suzanne Sharp's life hell - so what better way to get her own back than revenge live on national television ...
Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
Kate Harrison
100 books140 followersKate was born in Wigan, and lived in more than a dozen places when she was growing up, including England, Scotland, and the Netherlands. She trained as a print journalist and then worked for the BBC as a reporter and Education Correspondent, before switching to behind the scenes producing on programmes including Newsround and Panorama. Her final 'proper' job involved coming up with TV programme ideas for the BBC whilst sitting on beanbags. She is a dab hand at writing on white boards.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 20, 2016
DNF
Another book I tried reading ages ago and haven't added on GR.
Another book I tried reading ages ago and haven't added on GR.
May 30, 2011
I have just finished reading Old School Ties by Kate Harrison, and decided to review it whilst it is still fresh in my mind as I do not feel it is a book which will make its mark on my brain!!
At the beginning of the book we are introduced to the main character, Tracey Mortimer. Tracey is looking back on her life to her school years which she absolutely loved although the same thing can not be said for many of her class mates. Tracey ruled the school people was afraid of her, she was a bully. When she compares her life then to now oh how it has changed with her lowlife of a husband and her two children who she doesn't really understand and with no real career.
Tracey is given the opportunity to have a school reunion which will be filmed by a television company. She accepts the offer as she feels she would like to go back to the way things were when she were at school. We ask ourselves during the book if the reunion will actually go ahead and Tracey meets up with some of her old class mates and hears some home truths as her past comes back to haunt her.
I have to say I have not read a book with a character like Tracey, my opinion of her changed so often during the book, one moment you really feel sorry for her and hope for her to do well, the next she is the bad character of the book and you can't help but not like her. The book focuses a lot on bullying which in this day in age is a big thing, but this book talks from the bullies point of you and she actually doesn't realise the pain she is causing and does not consider herself as a bully.
The characters in this book are wound in very nicely with the story, and gives you just enough information about each one. All this said I did not find it an overly enjoyable book. I feel usually when I am reading a book as if there is a beginning, middle and an end to a book where as with this book I always felt as if I was a t the beginning of the book it didn't seem to progress and didn't go in depth with the story. I would only recommend this if you want a very light easy read.
At the beginning of the book we are introduced to the main character, Tracey Mortimer. Tracey is looking back on her life to her school years which she absolutely loved although the same thing can not be said for many of her class mates. Tracey ruled the school people was afraid of her, she was a bully. When she compares her life then to now oh how it has changed with her lowlife of a husband and her two children who she doesn't really understand and with no real career.
Tracey is given the opportunity to have a school reunion which will be filmed by a television company. She accepts the offer as she feels she would like to go back to the way things were when she were at school. We ask ourselves during the book if the reunion will actually go ahead and Tracey meets up with some of her old class mates and hears some home truths as her past comes back to haunt her.
I have to say I have not read a book with a character like Tracey, my opinion of her changed so often during the book, one moment you really feel sorry for her and hope for her to do well, the next she is the bad character of the book and you can't help but not like her. The book focuses a lot on bullying which in this day in age is a big thing, but this book talks from the bullies point of you and she actually doesn't realise the pain she is causing and does not consider herself as a bully.
The characters in this book are wound in very nicely with the story, and gives you just enough information about each one. All this said I did not find it an overly enjoyable book. I feel usually when I am reading a book as if there is a beginning, middle and an end to a book where as with this book I always felt as if I was a t the beginning of the book it didn't seem to progress and didn't go in depth with the story. I would only recommend this if you want a very light easy read.
November 16, 2013
Old School Ties is a decent novel, nothing spectacular but not necessary bad. The story is about Tracy, a woman in her thirties who is living a humdrum existence with a husband she hates and she hasn't done anything with her life. Tracy longs to go back in time to when she was the most popular girl in school, however she gets her chance when she applies for a television programme interested in school reunions.
This story really proves that its really true that bullies don't succeed in life, any person who has been bullied feels a little smug about that fact. Nevertheless Tracy is likeable despite being a bully, she is funny and direct. Tracy is an unlikely anti-hero and you realise that she's not all that bad. Also we are introduced to scheming Suzanne who is desperate to get revenge on Tracy for bullying her all those years ago and Gary, Tracy's first love.
This novel gives you a lot to think about and it makes you reminisce about your old school days. The book was a bit sloppily written and a tad boring at parts, but on the whole it was entertaining and gives you a lot to think about. The most important message that this story brought was about friendship which I thought was the nicest thing about this book. I liked how it wasn't a predictable and sickly chick lit book about prince charmings and ever afters; its a lot deeper than that. I do think that this is a decent read. Not bad stuff.
Grade: B
This story really proves that its really true that bullies don't succeed in life, any person who has been bullied feels a little smug about that fact. Nevertheless Tracy is likeable despite being a bully, she is funny and direct. Tracy is an unlikely anti-hero and you realise that she's not all that bad. Also we are introduced to scheming Suzanne who is desperate to get revenge on Tracy for bullying her all those years ago and Gary, Tracy's first love.
This novel gives you a lot to think about and it makes you reminisce about your old school days. The book was a bit sloppily written and a tad boring at parts, but on the whole it was entertaining and gives you a lot to think about. The most important message that this story brought was about friendship which I thought was the nicest thing about this book. I liked how it wasn't a predictable and sickly chick lit book about prince charmings and ever afters; its a lot deeper than that. I do think that this is a decent read. Not bad stuff.
Grade: B
June 6, 2009
Okay, but didn't really like any of the characters except Boris, so that's why it loses a star. Both Tracey and Suzanne deserved each other...couldn't understand why Bob remained so obsessed with Tracey after all that time.
January 6, 2012
A light, entertaining read that makes you ponder the differences between the way we perceive ourselves and the way that others see us.
It's not often that simply reading a book will cause a song to stick in my head for days... in this case it was "True" by Spandau Ballet.
It's not often that simply reading a book will cause a song to stick in my head for days... in this case it was "True" by Spandau Ballet.
January 16, 2025
I’ve been conflicted on reviewing this book. The first 3/4s of the story is super weak. The characters are unlikable and there is no growth. The plot is slow and the writing is not good nor is it captivating. I continued on with it as the concept of school reunions did intrigue me. I’m glad I did because the story from the reunion onwards has character development and the plot felt gossipy and like watching a reality show which brought it up to two stars, just. It still wasn’t as good as similar stories I’ve read and I believe the writing is not strong enough to merit the 339 page read. If you like reading stories from a bullies point of view or enjoy reality tv creation and reunions, you may like the book but otherwise I would say only read it like me as it’s taken a space up on the bookshelf and you think why not.
November 20, 2023
This novel about a school reunion has a central character who was the centre of attention and chief bully at school, and now has a dead-end job, a rotten husband and two kids. It is hard to feel much synpathy for her, or for most of the other characters, with a couple of notable exceptions. When she agrees to host a televised school reunion, it might be assumed that the novel was supposed to be a comedy, but there's little to laugh at. The writing style is weird, with first person present tense passages alternating with third person past tense. The plot is complex and mostly unlikely, and you're menat to feel some sympathy for the central character at the end, but it's hard to summon up.
October 1, 2025
The main character wasn't very nice - a bully (yes, with lots of issues) but still a bully. Rough, common, abrasive. Didn't like her, but could understand why she was like that.
The book got better by the end and enjoyed the satisfying tying together of the storylines but otherwise, didn't enjoy it because of 'Tracey'!
The book got better by the end and enjoyed the satisfying tying together of the storylines but otherwise, didn't enjoy it because of 'Tracey'!
March 11, 2018
I stopped reading after third attempt. This was the most boring book. All characters were flat and not particularly interesting ,thank god I don't have friends like that!!!! Sorry Kate but I hope you write better stories than this because this one was awful!!
October 18, 2020
Very average book about a women organising a school reunion. I did feel for Tracey Mortimer but the novel was sub par.
I did love the characterisation of Helen “Boris”.
2* for me.
I did love the characterisation of Helen “Boris”.
2* for me.
January 26, 2023
3.5 actually. Not bad, easy read
January 4, 2010
Tracey Mortimer was a queen; she was a leader in fashion, had the best looking boyfriend and always got what she wanted. But that was back in 1984 when she was seventeen. Now Tracey is 33, she's a boring suburban house mum, with an unfaithful husband and has since learnt that you don't always get everything you want.
Tracey's life has not turned out as she might have imagined when she was seventeen, and now more and more Tracey is thinking about her glory days when she was queen of the school and life was simpler. So when the opportunity presents itself for her to step back in time, by way of a school reunion, Tracey jumps at the chance. But not everyone is as excited as she to walk down memory lane.
A school reunion sounded like a good idea at the time, but as the reunion approaches Tracey finds her life unravelling. She has no career to speak of, her marriage is falling apart, her children are unhappy, and she has no real friends. Tracey begins to wonder if this reunion idea was such a good idea at all, especially now it seems she may be attending it alone.
In Old School Ties Tracey is forced to look to her past to find the means to move on in the future. This is a book about growing up and making mistakes; about realising that not everyone is the same, and not everyone remembers the same. A book that has something for everyone, it's a witty and entertaining story with attitude.
Tracey's life has not turned out as she might have imagined when she was seventeen, and now more and more Tracey is thinking about her glory days when she was queen of the school and life was simpler. So when the opportunity presents itself for her to step back in time, by way of a school reunion, Tracey jumps at the chance. But not everyone is as excited as she to walk down memory lane.
A school reunion sounded like a good idea at the time, but as the reunion approaches Tracey finds her life unravelling. She has no career to speak of, her marriage is falling apart, her children are unhappy, and she has no real friends. Tracey begins to wonder if this reunion idea was such a good idea at all, especially now it seems she may be attending it alone.
In Old School Ties Tracey is forced to look to her past to find the means to move on in the future. This is a book about growing up and making mistakes; about realising that not everyone is the same, and not everyone remembers the same. A book that has something for everyone, it's a witty and entertaining story with attitude.
September 21, 2015
After receiving this book on Friday, I have hardly been able to put it down until I finished it this morning. This is a great book, and is a fantastic effort from a first-time published author.
The book follows Tracey after she is offered the chance to star in a televised school reunion. She thought she was the most popular girl in the class, but it soon becomes clear that not all of her classmates felt the same. Now that Tracey is married with two children, all she wants is to recapture her youth from 17 years previously.
The book cleverly examines the theme of bullying, both from the point of view of the bully and of the bullied. It is sad that Tracey doesn't really seem to realise that she is a bully, nor the effect she has on those around her. Throughout this book, though, I was cheering Tracey on and willing her to see what she was doing.
The book follows Tracey after she is offered the chance to star in a televised school reunion. She thought she was the most popular girl in the class, but it soon becomes clear that not all of her classmates felt the same. Now that Tracey is married with two children, all she wants is to recapture her youth from 17 years previously.
The book cleverly examines the theme of bullying, both from the point of view of the bully and of the bullied. It is sad that Tracey doesn't really seem to realise that she is a bully, nor the effect she has on those around her. Throughout this book, though, I was cheering Tracey on and willing her to see what she was doing.
July 28, 2012
Tracey Mortimer was the Queen of her high school. When Tracey spots an ad to make a reality TV show about the perfect school reunion, she jumps at the chance. Tracey is a suburban housewife with a cheating husband and two kids who dislike her.
When Tracey starts to get in touch with her old schoolmates she is not prepared for the outcome. It turns out that Tracey was a bully. She terrorized, humiliated and treated her classmates awfully. What is really sad is that Tracey does not even realize what she has done.
Will there even be a reunion?
I felt absolutely not one whiff of sympathy for Tracey. She should get everything back in spades. Also it might be nice if she grew a brain. Not my fav of reads
When Tracey starts to get in touch with her old schoolmates she is not prepared for the outcome. It turns out that Tracey was a bully. She terrorized, humiliated and treated her classmates awfully. What is really sad is that Tracey does not even realize what she has done.
Will there even be a reunion?
I felt absolutely not one whiff of sympathy for Tracey. She should get everything back in spades. Also it might be nice if she grew a brain. Not my fav of reads
September 4, 2015
Review - I think the main character in Old School Ties, Tracey, is almost 2D because she comes across as having changed so much it's hardly even plausible. The emotion seems dry and forced rather than real. After reading two of Kate Harrison's novels, I think that she lacks some of the va-va-voom to make her novels addictive. The storylines tend to be well-thought-out but they do seem to drag on occasionally without enough action to sustain them. She has potential but in this novel it's not being met.
Genre? - Chic Lit / Romance / Drama
Characters? - Tracey Mortimer / Suzanne Shaw / Helen
Setting? - England
Series? - N/A
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 13/20
Genre? - Chic Lit / Romance / Drama
Characters? - Tracey Mortimer / Suzanne Shaw / Helen
Setting? - England
Series? - N/A
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 13/20
October 24, 2013
This is the first chick lit novel I've read in a long time. There weren't any great shakes in the plot; an unhappy middle aged woman applies to be on a reality TV show revolving around school reunions. Despite this, I found it incredibly hard to read, monotonous and with a dislikable main character. The irony wasn't lost on me that Tracey had been a bully at school (as viewed by her peers) and 17 years later her daughter is being bullied. Predictably I thought the protagonist would be changed by her school reunion experience, I think this was intended, but I still did not like the character.
September 22, 2007
It was a good story - the main character not very likeable - but ok and I ended up feeling very sorry for her and the helplessness she felt about her life and family. I would personally love to go to a school reunion - but with it being a girls school some of the drama here would not happen! Also I was bullied a little - but managed to get something done about it so it wasn't a big part of my school life as I had very good friends.
August 19, 2012
I previously read The Secret Shopper Unwrapped by the same author and wasn't too impressed with it so likewise I don't really have that much high hopes for this one . I find this book pretty okay; can't say it's bad but it's not good either .
What I did like was the growing relationship between Tracey and Helen (or Boris, in the book) . It was the only redeeming factor.
What I did like was the growing relationship between Tracey and Helen (or Boris, in the book) . It was the only redeeming factor.
March 23, 2016
IT took a long time for me to get through what should have been a couple day read and I can only attribute that to the unlikable characters. I would have loved for the story to have focused more on Boris and less on Tracey who we're told we're supposed to feel sorry for yet for a strong, special female that entranced so many people, she seemed pretty lazy and not very proactive.
August 23, 2013
An okay read. Kate's books have improved massively since this first one. I wasn't keen on Tracey, which made this a tough read in a lot of respects. I did like the fact that it wasn't a typical HEA ending, though, with no firm resolution about Tracey's life.
Read
June 5, 2023Didn't hold my interest
August 7, 2012
It was an ok read but I was a little disappointed.
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/3...
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/3...
January 19, 2014
An easy read, but there were no "nice" characters in the book bar one. Makes you glad you are not at school!
February 8, 2015
it was ok. bit slow to start and took a while to get into it
March 10, 2014
Not finished :(
February 27, 2012
it was ok but not the most exciting book to read
June 7, 2012
UNIQUE BOOK ... Im INLOVE with It
November 8, 2014
Really slow to get going but did get slightly better. I wanted her to end up with Bob tho :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2018
I don't think this book will stick in my mind to be treasured forever, but the the time of reading, I couldn't put it down! I was dying to know what would actually happen come the reunion. It would have been nice to see Tracey actually realise that she was a bully at school (which I didn't feel she really did apart from a few moments contemplation when talking to Suzanne) and I was slightly disappointed that she didn't run off into the sunset with the bloke who obviously cared about her (soft sod that I am), but otherwise I enjoyed it. It made me ponder over my old school days, I don't think our reunion would be nearly as eventful.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews