When we break a good resolution, we usually tell ourselves that it is only this one time and for a good reason. In my case, asking She Was the Quiet One from NetGalley after swearing only to request review copies of new books by authors I had previously read and liked was the specious attraction of the setting—Odell, a boarding school in New Hampshire. I had just completed a novel of my own set at a boarding school in New England that I thought it would be fun to compare notes on how it is done. In this case, Michele Campbell ought to have known that teachers are mandated reporters; that means they are required to report any instances of what they reasonably believe to be physical or sexual abuse to the appropriate authorities. In the case of Sarah and Heath Donovan, who are the housemasters of Moreland Hall, they are informed of a hazing incident when a girl in their dorm beaten on her bare buttocks with a leather slipper and a video posted on Snapchat, and they first concern was how it might affect Heath’s chances of becoming headmaster. As it turns out, the girl withdraws from school but her family sue the perpetrator’s family for the absurdly astronomic sum of $20 million, though the only lasting injury was to the victim’s self-esteem. I doubt law school was part of the author’s formation: later we see a lawyer imagining that asserting girl’s Miranda rights means that she cannot co-operate willingly with the police.

Two sisters are involved. Rose and Bel, fraternal twins. (Is it sexist to refer to twin sisters as “fraternal”? My dictionary doesn’t have an adjective derived from “soror.”) Orphaned, they are sent off to boarding school at the behest of granny’s lawyer (the one who’s not so up on Miranda) boyfriend. They are opposite personalities: Rose is studious and serious; Bel is unfocused and pliable, and finds herself involved in an affair with housemaster Heath Donovan, who is definitely the instigator and consummates their relationship at midnight in the laundry room of the dorm. There’s “a contest, which senior girl can bed Donovan”—I wondered why.
If one is going to portray illicit relationships between teacher and student, make it attractive; feature some class. Have the teacher at least pretend to sophistication, caring, attentive and considerate sexually, devoted to the student-lover’s intellectual maturity. What the Greeks called paidea. Instead Heath makes Bea slog through muddy winter woods to meet him in a car park and then he drives her to a sleazy motel where she finds out that his amatory technique is of the wham-bam variety. On route he orders her: “A car’s coming. Get down.’ She ducked into the passenger-side foot well, and rode down there the whole way to the motel.” Not exactly a romantic relationship.

Campbell provides us with the stock characters who populate the run-of-the-mill prep school story. There’s Darcy, the classic mean girl: “Life in Darcy’s circle was a big joke. The terrible pressures of Odell—the crushing workload, the college-admissions race, the sane three-hundred-page code [sic] of conduct manual—vanished at the flick of Darcy’s shiny, blond hair. Bel needed to be part of that.” Of course she’d be a blonde. Interestingly though, she hang around after her expulsion and contribute to a minor plot twist. And of course there’s the school bully. “Brandon was a mouth-breathing delinquent. He was also very, very rich, his dad being a real-estate billionaire”! Um! I wonder who he might be based on! And Heath and Sarah’s imagining that promotion to Headmaster and “first lady” (that’s really what somebody calls it in this book) will give them a life of abundance and easy and luxury instead of the endless rounds of fund-raising, ingratiating themselves to parents and potential parents, and scrupulous devotion to the welfare of every single student that the responsibilities of a real school head require.

Stylistically, Michele Campbell scarcely misses a cliché: “He bolted down the front path like he’d been shot from a cannon”; “Sarah was weak as a kitten”; “you scream like a banshee” are a few samples.

So, I have to add She Was the Quiet One to my growing list of bad school stories, that is to say, badly told stories about bad schools. Usually the implicit author of such novels seems to be suffering from a terminal case of class envy, portraying an institution run by bullies and snobs. I’ve written my own story about a school afflicted with some very evil characters. But if an author is aspiring to tragic dignity there should also be characters who genuinely care about formation and education and understand that the welfare of their students is their primary duty, however short they fall of their responsibilities. In this story we have instead an unintentional comedy with teachers who never engage in anything that remotely resembles education, a lawyer who knows nothing about criminal law, police detectives unacquainted with police procedure (they leave a suspected murderess in the school infirmary because she has flu symptoms), and a sleazy seducer whose idea of a love nest is the basement laundry room. Which last pretty much sums up the artistic, moral and educational values this school story inculcates.

I am grateful to NetGalley and St Martin's for an ARC.

SHE WAS THE QUIET ONE
This was a very exciting read. It pulled me in from the very beginning and kept me so interested I didn't want to put the book down. The characters were all so very interesting, starting with the two sisters, Belle and Rose who were fraternal twins and were very different in many ways, including looks as well as personality. The character development was good. The story line flowed easy , it was a book that was intriguing and interesting all through to the end. There are other characters that you will love, some you will hate...and some...you will just not know how to feel about. There is a surprising twist at the end I didn't expect.
I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is a great read!

An average attempt at the whodunit with a hidden victim similar to Big Little Lies. The issue was that none of the characters were likable even the good students came off mean spirited.
If you like young adult mysteries, within the confines of a boarding school for rich children, then perhaps you may enjoy this more.

The novel started off great, we learn that one of the sisters will die, be murdered and that the other will be suspected of the murder. But the unfolding of the story, the pettiness and bratty behaviour made me not care after a while. So midway I felt as if anyone of them could die and I would be OK with that.

The second part and the unraveling of the mystery felt forced and too easy. No justice really just an end. It all felt unnecessary.

I received this title from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! I was unsure if the book would hold my interest as the setting is a high school. So much excitement. The writing style as well was great. Haven't lost sleep over a good book in a while, this one i did.

The synopsis for She Was the Quiet One drew me in right away.

It might be because I wished once upon a time that I could have gone to a snooty boarding school, complete with preppy boys and smoldering hot English teachers. 

It's just that all these movies and books and tv shows make it seem like it would be so awesome--until someone has to go and get themselves murdered.

I should tell you straight away that I usually expect these types of books to be terrible. You know... trashy, but deliciously so--like reality television. I also expected this to be a YA title, but I was wrong on both counts. 

This is a well written book, with some well developed characters and some predictable, shallow characters. The story itself was believable and had enough mystery that although you could probably figure out pretty early on who the murderer was, it may have taken you a little longer to figure out who the murdered was.

Twin sisters Bel and Rose were at the center of the novel and their characters and motives were well-fleshed out. I especially liked how easy it was to empathize with each girl when the story was being told from her point of view.

I think we were meant to empathize with Sarah as well, but that was hard for me because she is written as a strong, smart female role model, but her actions are not congruent with who she is supposed to be. 

Heath was the least believable character. I actually felt at times that he was a parody of a young, hot boarding school teacher, with very little to actually root for him about. 

This is probably one of the best tropey boarding school books I have ever read. (Never Let Me Go being the reference point I use for best.)

She Was the Quiet One is a solid four out of five stars. Pick up your copy on July 31st.

I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read Michele's It's Always the Husband at the end of May, which is why I requested this book and was just OMGing the entire time, to the point where I was texting my reading partner in the wee hours of the night as I was reading and woke her up..oops. We actually had to go back and re-read the beginning because her and I had a dispute about the beginning, it was that great.
OK, so this book is Mean Girls meets Sweet Valley High with a boarding school and millennial twist.
We begin the book in the infirmary where they lock down girls who have broken rules. A twin is accused of killing her sister, which sister, we just do not know. We are then taken back to the first day of school for twins, Bel and Rose Enright at Odell Academy, their mother had died from cancer earlier that year in May. Bel and their mother were best friends and looked very similar, whereas Rose was blond like their father, who died when they were 5. They ended up with their blue blooded fraternal grandmother after their mother's passing because she was the only one who offered to take them in. They are welcomed by the senior welcoming committee as they are moving in. The twins are split up into different dorms. Darcy mentions that her mom and the twins dad actually dated before he moved to California. This is the beginning of a friendship between mean girl and senior, Darcy and Bel. Normally, freshman and seniors do not mix, but Darcy decides to take Bel under her wing, or make her one of her minions is more like it. Bel pays the price of doing some of her bidding that ends in the revival of an old school prank, some people getting expelled and a whole lot of trouble. This book is full of drama and excitement, not to exclude affairs, bullying and blackmailing. I could not wait until the end!


You can purchase this book on July 31st from the following link https://www.amazon.com/She-Was-Quiet-One-Novel-ebook/dp/B077S71YSM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1532619871&sr=1-1&keywords=She+Was+the+Quiet+One+Michele+Campbell

Boarding schools, much like summer camp, usually make great settings for mysteries. I think it's the lack of parental supervision that keeps things interesting because those darn kids are always able to sneak stuff past the adults in charge. In this book, twin sisters Rose and Bel Enright are sent by their grandmother to a boarding school in New Hampshire after the death of their mother. After arriving at The Odell School, the girls soon realize wealth and entitlement can lead to a whole lotta trouble. When someone connected to the school is murdered, authorities interview staff and students to try and piece together what exactly happened and just who is responsible for it.

Unfortunately, I just never got into that groove of reading when you just can't put down the book because you are so caught up in the story. Part of the problem was the writing style just felt very short, simple and to the point rather than being very descriptive. This hurt the story in my opinion because it never seemed to flow very well and the characters were underdeveloped.

What kept me reading was I was hoping that at least when the mystery was solved it would be something shocking. Unfortunately, it's not something you didn't see coming a mile away. So a predicable mystery, characters who I didn't particularly care for one way or the other, and a writing style that just didn't work for me are the reasons this was only a 2 star read for me. Others seem to really like this book though so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

“She was the Quiet One” is Michelle Campbell’s second effort and fans of “It’s Always the Husband” will not be disappointed. Rose and her twin sister Bel enroll in the prestigious New England boarding school Odell Academy. As typical with twins, Rose and Bel are very different. Rose is more the good girl, academic, while Bel gets involved with “the wild group.” Rose turns to the dorm mother, Sarah, while Bel seeks out Sarah’s husband, Heath.

Novels with plots in boarding school and about twins can border on clichés, but Michelle Campbell’s energetic prose keep the plot fresh. I found the multiple points of views slightly distracting, maybe because I was not given opportunity to stay with one character long enough to get to know her better. Overall, it was an excellent read, and I highly recommend this book. I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy.

Rose and Bel are twin sisters who lost both their parents; their father when they were little and their mother, to cancer, at age 15. They are taken in by their paternal grandmother and enrolled in boarding school, where all the trouble begins.

She Was the Quiet One is a page-turner! I had multiple theories throughout the book on “whodunnit”. I was wrong on most of them, of course, and couldn't stop turning the pages to find the answers. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming!

I really enjoyed It Always the Husband by author, Michele Campbell, and She Was the Quiet One, did not disappoint. I look forward to many more books by this author.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced review copy; all opinions are my own.

This one was entirely too predictable and lacked any twists whatsoever. The epilogue was completely unnecessary and felt somewhat like the author were trying to create an alternate ending for a movie. The characters seemed way too introspective and to be avoiding thinking logically and ignoring obvious facts in an effort to make the book stretch on and on. After the murder, the earlier interview transcripts stopped meshing with the flow of the story. I just wasn’t as into this one as I was with It’s Always the Husband.

3.5/5 stars

This was my first Michele Campbell booked and I really enjoyed it! Her other book, It's Always The Husband, is in my "to read pile" and after this- I look forward to reading it even more now!

She Was the Quiet One is your standard psychological thriller that takes place in that ever alluring boarding school setting and our main characters are two extremely different twins. Twin books get me every time - can you tell I grew up reading Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High?! :) So it's emphasized HOW they are sooo different but their dynamic and dialogue seems off (just did not seem realistic for how their relationship was described). I feel like despite their differences, I didn't actually get any twin "vibes" from any of their interactions at all.

There is the attractive teacher, who all the female students just adore, and his wife- also a teacher- who are inappropriately close with the students so you know this is a recipe for trouble (this is a familiar concept- as it occurred in my high school). But this couple has it's fair share of secrets too.

I saw the end coming so I was a bit disappointed, but overall a good book with a few weak spots.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and of course, Michele Campbell, for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Boarding school never fails to be a rich background; especially for an intriguing murder thriller.

Easy to read, quick to be swept up in, maybe slightly predicable at times but that doesn't make this book any less enjoyable.

The suspense kept you intrigued and the pace never let up. My first Michele Campbell novel was no disappointment.

After being orphaned at the age of 15, twin sisters, Bel and Rose, move across the country to live with their rich, paternal grandmother. Unfortunately, she seems disinterested and ships them off to the same prestigious boarding school their father attended. The twins should have been closer than ever after losing their mom to cancer (and their dad when they were five), but instead, the rift between them only grows bigger while they are away at school. But, do they hate each enough for one to murder the other?!?

” The only quiet woman is a dead one.” - Sylvia Plath

Meanwhile, Sarah and Heath Donovan and their young children moved into Moreland Hall after being hired as dorm heads to put a stop to the recent shenanigans at the girls' dorm. Will this position help English teacher Donovan realize his ambitious dream of becoming headmaster? How far will he go to achieve his lofty goal?

"Sometimes we don't know people as well as we think we do."

There was sooo much drama in this book, and I loved it. Boarding school drama. Twin sister drama. Friendship drama. Marriage drama. So much twisty drama that it kept me guessing until the very end about who was dead and why. Who was the murderer, and why did he/she commit such a heinous act? And, who the heck was Anonymouse, and why was he/she stirring the oh-so-dramatic pot? Read this twisty tale to find out!

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Location: New Hampshire and Connecticut

Really enjoyed this book.
The setting of this book is a prestigious boarding school, Odell. Many of the students come from wealth families with alumni that attended. Odell.
Rose and Bel are fraternal twins. Not only do they not look alike. They have very different personalities. Rose is the good twin and Bel is the bad twin.
Rose and Bel have just recently lost there mother and custody is granted to the wealth Grandmother that sends them to Odell Boarding school.
From the beginning Rose wants to do well in her academics and Bel quickly makes friends with the bad senior girls.. The bad girls start a contest to see who will seductive the handsome Headmaster. And someone wins the contest.

This is a great mystery, with a murder noted in the beginning of the book. So, who died and who is the murderer?
This is a quick read with may twist and turns.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review. Opinions express are completely my own.

This was a great book!! I give it a strong 4.5. The characters were so well developed as well as the complex relationship between twins. It drew the reader in so well, I felt like I was a part of the story. The book had so many great twists and turns, a real page turner! It was a gamble to the end as far as who to like and dislike.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Highly recommend!!

This was my second book by this author and in both instances, I rated the books 5 stars.

This one was different from the first book as it took place at a boarding school and the main characters were twins, fraternal twins. They looked nothing alike and they were total opposites of each other. And boy could they fight - they fought about everything.

Naturally, being at a boarding school, there are lots of other characters that come into play during this book as well.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was mesmerized by the setting, the characters and the plot twists. Definitely an author that should be on everyone's TBR pile.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The story starts off with orphan's twin who were taken in by their distance grandmother, and then sent off to boarding school. That's when all hell broke loose. It's a captivating murder mystery where everyone has a motive. It's a page turner from beginning to end. Toward the end, I guessed at who was the murderer; however this book did not disappoint.

This book was terrific. A real page turner. This is the second book I read by this author and her first one was also great. This book revolves around twin sisters, Rose and Bel. Their father died when they were young and then at the age of fifteen their mother died. Their grandmother, their father’s mother is very wealthy and takes them in. She sends them to a very prestigious boarding school and at that point in the book the story really takes off. The other main characters in this novel are the Donovan’s, Sarah and Heath who come with their own baggage. Sarah becomes Rose’s dorm mother while her husband Heath is Bel’s teacher. You know right from the beginning one of the twins die, but don’t find out which one dies till about two thirds into the book which one dies. I really enjoyed this book and I pretty much figured out who the killer was but there are many twists and turns in this book, even in the epilogue. If you like psychological thrillers, you will definitely like this book.

Although the story was captivating in its' own way, the plot was disturbing.  I found myself not really wanting to read too much more but I wanted to finish the story.  I did know the ending for the most part, it wasn't really a surprise.  I don't want to give the story line away so I won't go into detail, but the writing style was good.  I own but have not yet read her other novel, It's Always the Husband.  I will give that a chance to see how I feel about Michelle's books in general.

Rose and Bel Enright are twin sisters who have been through the ringer. After their mother dies, they are sent to live with their rich grandmother who is welcoming for a hot minute before she ships them off to a private finished school. There's definitely a bit of a Sweet Valley High dynamic as one twin is popular and wild while the other is bookish and shy. Although they look as different as two girls, let alone twins could look.

Their advisors, Sarah and Heath Donovan have taught at the school for some time, but are taking over control of the "wild dorm" in order to get it under control and to put Heath in a good position for a future administrator job at the school. They are young and hip with small kids and appear to be a wholesome all-American family.

Michelle Campbell did a fantastic job of telling the story from several different viewpoints and switching back and forth from past to present, releasing new details of the story and of the character's personalities slowly enough to keep the ready intrigued and wanting more.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and love how details were slowly revealed, but for whatever reason it didn't hook me as much as other books sometimes do. I can't even pinpoint why. Perhaps I did crave for the story to be a bit more fast-paced?

There's just something about a private boarding school that is just so dark. I mean, there are so many stories and novels written about them, and none seem vanilla and happy. She Was the Quiet One is definitely a worthy entry into the creepy boarding school genre.