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Fiction. Literature. HTML: The first book of Jenny Colgan's delightful new four-part series, set at a charming English boarding school on the sea. Maggie went to the window and opened it wide, inhaling the lovely salt air off the sea. Why had she never lived by the sea before? Why had she always looked out on housing estates and not the little white hulls of trawlers bobbing off in the distance? It's gloriously sunny in Cornwall as the school year starts at the little boarding school by the sea. Maggie, the newest teacher at Downey House, is determined to make her mark. She's delighted by her new teaching job, but will it come at the expense of her relationship with her safe, dependable boyfriend Stan? Simone is excited and nervous: she's won a scholarship to the prestigious boarding school and wants to make her parents proud. Forced to share a room with the glossy, posh girls of Downey House, she needs to find a friend, fast. Fliss is furious. She's never wanted to go to boarding school and hates being sent away from her home. As Simone tries desperately to fit in, Fliss tries desperately to get out. Over the course of one year, friendships will bloom and lives will be changed forever. Life at the Little School by the Sea is never dull....… (more)
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But like a lot of this genre any issues that happen are skimmed rather than explored and it does give the feel of the boarding school story. Some of the issues explored are the kind of thing that crops up in most schools but there's no real exploration of the whys and wherefores. Maggie Adair, our heroine, is due some hard looking at life stuff and needs to explore issues rather than hope that they will go away.
While the author claims that this is new territory she's exploring it really isn't, but fans of the genre will like it.
It's nothing major and it really is quite typical chick-lit but it was a fun and quick read.
Colgan delves into the experiences of
I love Jenny Colgan's writing! Her books are just comforting, feel good, sit back, lose yourself in a story reads. In this latest, Colgan takes us to a boarding
Maggie is quite likable - she's not perfect, but has a kind heart and good intentions. I quite liked her inner dialogue. There’s a range of personalities amongst the girls with a social hierarchy you'd (sadly) find in any group setting. One of the girls is especially nasty. My heart was with Simone, a scholarship student who has a very difficult time at Downey Hall. As Maggie circumvents the pitfalls, the joys and the unexpected surprises of her new post, she too is hampered by the girls' attitudes, but sometimes helped as well. Let’s not forget about the teachers - some are some strict disciplinarians, rule followers and some are mired in same age old ways. Colgan gives one of the senior staff an unexpected story line. Now, what about that boys school just over the hill? There’s a rather attractive history professor there - and that presents another dilemma for Maggie. Will she succumb to her feelings or is she loyal to the boyfriend she left back at home? I can’t say I agree with every decision that Maggie meets but that’s what makes her human and relatable.
There are some unanswered questions and I'm keen to see where Colgan takes things. I wonder if the same group of girls will be back, a little bit older and a bit wiser. And I'm very eager to see how the romantic plot line unfolds. It's all about the characters for me in Colgan's writing and this latest is no exception. I can’t wait to see what the second book - Rules at the School by the Sea, due out in August 2022 - brings.
I chose to listen to Welcome to the School by the Sea. Jilly Bond is the narrator and she does an absolutely fantastic job! She’s provides unique and distinctive voices for all of the characters. It's easy to suss out who is speaking. She captures the personalities of all the characters - young, old, male and female with her voice and I easily created vivid mental images of each one. She portrays the emotions of the characters as well. I did end up turning down the speed a notch or two as she is a quick speaker and that was perfect for me.
job by the ocean in Cornwall, England.
While the new situations she meets with her unpredictable students are challenging, she does not fully comprehend or
showing a lot less of a strong character than originally anticipated.
Readers may hope she weighs in to help Simone lose a lot of weight for a healthier body and lasting lifestyle,
with enough confidence to stand up for herself when she is accused of stealing.
The stealing trope went on way too long and was simply annoying, as were the snarky girls.
The Headmistress has the best backstory and rises as the most intriguing character for future reading.