St Clare's: The First Year: The Twins at St Clare's / The O'Sullivan Twins / Summer Term at St Clare's

by Enid Blyton

Excellent Book

Genres: Childrens, Fiction

576 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2013

About the author

See also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)

Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.

Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.

Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.

According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.

See also her pen name Mary Pollock

Reviews

[Chloe Devenish · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is ausome. Almost like Malory Towers! I loved the mid-night feasts and tricks they got up to each term.

[Teak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked it and I would really recommend for girls from 10-14. One of my favourite book series!.

[Silvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not feeling well in the last couple of days and thus need something light. This reread fit the bill nicely, something to take me back to my Enid Blyton's-filled childhood, being charmed by English boarding schools with their awesome dorms and nature walks and midnight parties and whatnots. Granted, the series have some issues if read with today's modern glasses but oh heck I am sick, so spare me.

[Asuka Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

-My first reading at November-

At first the twins Ollivan didn't like at all to be at St.Clare boarding school. They were two little spoiled kids from red roof school. Even they couldn't mend their own tear socks.
Surely, they made some trouble at St.Clare at the first couple weeks.
Their journey at St.Clare begins.. How they face their struggle to get along with it rules and new friends there.

I thought that i love Malory Tower more than this one.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book because in it you can imagine what the characters really look like. I also like this book because it never gets boring or miserable and there are always exciting things on the way. I would recommend this book for 9+. It is definitely one of my favourite books.

[Tia Rohom · Rating 4 out of 5]

14 year old Patricka and Isabel O'Sullvian (the twins) are getting ready to go to a school called St.Clare's. After being in a luxurious school called Redroofs, St.Clares isn't the greatest option of a school. One of their friend is going to another elite luxurious school called Ringmeres and the twins want to go to, but their parents oblige to that demand as they don't want their children to become more spoilt and selfish. The twins, angered by this, make sure to do the worst in St.Clares so as to make their parents take them out of the school. At St.Clares the twins find out that over there they have to be more hard working, punctual, intelligent and adapting which they hate. Known to the school as the "Stuck up twins", they tried there worst over there and hated every single part of the school. Finally, seeing most of the good instead of the bad, the twins settle down happily forgetting mostly everything they did that to, feeling ashamed of them. I used to find the twins extremely mean and spoilt at first, but after they changed, I found them pretty good. If I went to St.Clares, it would have been wizard! To sleep together in dorms and go swimming with friends would be very fun!!! I liked this book immensely! Children from grade two would enjoy this book thoroughly and find it very interesting too, so read it!!!

[Romana]

[Content warnings: fire; brief kidnapping; some mentions of parental neglect. Nothing in this review].

This is a childhood re-read, probably as nostalgic as they come so I feel funny giving this a rating. Ultimately, I adored this series as a kid and would say it was my favourite of all the Enid Blyton books - the best of a very strong bunch.

I was admittedly a little surprised to find that this held up even as an adult. I quickly understood why I loved it so much as it remains incredibly readable, with just the right amount of drama and excitement, and a group of characters who are so fun to get to know. I do think the girls are what bring the series to life, and I found myself remembering many of their traits from my first reading and encountering them again as an adult was like bumping into an old schoolmate. It's also so impressive that Blyton had so many characters play large roles in these stories, but managed to keep them all distinct which in turn left so much to be explored in terms of their mischief and their relationships with one another. Even the less popular girls each had their own personal brand of spite and scorn to be showcased.

A lovely time.

[Lily Frew · Rating 4 out of 5]

don't @ me for rereading these guys i just fancied a jolly good time in 1940s (?) england. they take me about five minutes to read so i'll log them as one in their collections x

[Sammeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a refreshing read! I first read these stories when I was 9/10 in my childhood garden in summer. I loved them more this time round than I did then and I absolutely adored them back then. You know what I love the most,there is absolutely no boy drama none at all. It is such a refreshing read, I know it is rather outdated nowadays but I just adore the friendships and all the mischief they all get up to and the hard lessons 's along the way.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up I loved this book to pieces. It was another that I would read as a comfort book just to relive the twins' adventures. Even though it is a young kids book I would read it again any day, even if I am a teenager who's too old for it.

[Georgia.gilroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is really good so far and i really like this book.

[Abi McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Actual rating around 3.8) Another book finished, and this time it is done with knowing I have officially completed by reading goal of the year! I doubt I'm going to update it, but I am excited to see how much further I can get before the end of the year. I am going to start uni again soon, and I have a feeling that when that starts up again, I won't be able to read as much as I have this summer! I have no idea why, but I seem to have completely regressed to re-reading all of my childhood books, and St Clare's is definitely one of them! I remember that when I was younger, these books made me want to go to boarding school SO BADLY, just so I could experience midnights feasts and being friends with loads of other girls and being all posh. The books are slightly repetitive, of course, but they are fun to read and simply go down memory lane with. Plus, it's nice how the girls actually have DEVELOPMENT, and don't just stay the same the entire time, and they actually change. And honestly, I just love all the silly adventures the girl's get up too, all while enjoying reading about posh people who would've scorned me back in the day. Onto the next book!

[Ciku Kimani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite authors when I was a kid so when I found the opportunity to pick up the whole series I did. And I'm glad because hellloooo, nostalgia. This book made me love boarding school before I went to boarding school and discovered it wasn't as exciting as it was for the O'Sullivan twins. It's all good though. On to the next volume.

[TheoR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extraordinary book that everyone will like. There are 2 twins their names are Pat O'Suullivian and Isabel O'Suullivian. Will they like their new school? Will others like them? Will they like others? Read this book and try to answer these tricky questions in your intelligent brain. This book will make you cheer up.

[Elaine Moorcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring book

A review by my seven year old

This book has really inspired me to change my attitude from being bad to good. Bobby didn't really think about anything but she changed to be really good and I want to be like that.

[Haleemah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh sometimes I would love to go to into Enid Blyton books. It would be so cool to have midnight feasts and the tricks that Janet and Bobby play are ingenious!

[Athira K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book alot...
I want to read the whole series...

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Books I've ever read!!

[Dean Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book it's a wonderful story.

[Roshni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood favourite.

[sabbryna · Rating 5 out of 5]

so gooooooooodddddddddddd

[Carolyn Fitzmaurice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed these as much as the first time around when I was 9 or 10.

[Novelle Novels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

So amusing to read this very familiar book in the original English. Completely different atmosphere, and lots of bits missing from the translation! Tempted to get the other books as well...

[lills · Rating 3 out of 5]

childhood comfort book

[Darcy R · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love chill and casual childrens books

[Rosie-Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book, love St Clare’s!! 😁

[Lu Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was never a huge fan of the St Clares books I had read the forth and the sixth when I was younger and believed Enid Blyton was the best author ever and constantly read and re-read Malory Towers, The Famous Five and Secret Seven etc... To be honest if I am ever stuck for something to read, even now I pick up the Malory Towers series and re-read them. However I have never been inclined towards the St Clares series. So have never read properly before but a couple of years ago I brought the first three for my daughter and as I had nothing else to read and fancied something quite light and easy to read I picked the first one up.

I am not going to do a review on each one because they are pretty much the same story written over and over again. And after completing the first book I now remember why Malory Towers was my favourite.

The two main characters the O’Sullivan twins Patricia and Isabel were top of everything at their previous school as well as being sports captains and head girls and basically the most popular girls in school they really do not want to go to St Clares where they would be no-bodies instead of some-bodies. It starts off with them being stubborn and refusing to do what the other girls do etc… but this does not last very long and very soon as in most of Enid Blyton’s stories, they are joining in with the other girls and being picked for the teams to represent the school and are generally very popular and well thought of by everyone pupils, teachers and of course the all wise and all-knowing saintly head teacher (who happens to be friends with mother).

Besides the twins of course there are other girls in the school, one who likes to play tricks, one who is very clever, one who just is, run of the mill extra talented pupils who just excel in a specific talent and are not really interested in anything else. And among the popular, talented and funny individuals that seem to make up the school you also have the one individual who is not going to fit in and be of any benefit to St Clares, and who is generally a nasty sneaky piece of work. Okay they are not very nice and yes they deserve to be punished but I found Enid’s little speeches on how sneaks never prosper and how they would never do anything with their lives because they are this that and the other (there are a couple of them and different things were said) just a tad patronising. I do wonder if I would have found it as patronising if I read this as a child instead of being an adult reading a book aimed at children.

I must find out which out of Mallory Towers and St Clares came first, because Mallory Towers seems to be slightly less patronising and more youthful than St Clares.
Needless to say I will not be picking St Clares up with the same fondness I feel for other Enid Blyton books but they were an easy stress less read which is why I picked them up, I don’t think I will be reading anymore.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. It's all that you expect from Enid Blyton: midnight feasts, bad girls who reform (and some who don't), French teachers with short tempers, kind headmistress, and a good range of well drawn characters.

[Imaan]

This book is about twins that go to a boarding school. They come as stuck up girls but oh my! how quickly do their ways change. Read it if you like Malory towers or if you like British boarding schools.