Two teachers and one student are the focus of the book, and a slightly odd triangular relationship cultivates as they deal with a school play, teen pregnancy, and… Disney’s America. Sidebar: I had to Google Disney’s America after finishing this book. It was a real (and terrible) idea pitched by Disney in the 90s.

I kept waiting for the story to pick up speed, reach a huge turning point, have a climax like a book should. And I kept waiting. A story doesn’t have to have an explicit climax, in my opinion- sometimes books are like roller coasters with several moments with heightened excitement/emotion/what-have-you. I did not see this. Even when the story takes a paranormal turn, I felt nothing except confusion. This didn’t seem like the type of story to take on a supernatural element. It didn’t seem to fit very well with the rest of the narration. And the way it was presented gave me little excitement or thoughts of “Oh my god! Awesome!” It was more like, “Oh my god. Did this just happen? Really?”

I never understood why other readers gave half stars to books before. I always thought to myself, “Choose one! It’s not that hard.” Well, this book has made it hard. I keep oscillating between 2 stars and 3 stars. I’m going to have to write out my line of thinking in order to choose. If At Briarwood School for Girls is meant to be literary, with focus on presentation then story-telling, it’s maybe 3 stars. But at the same time, I believe that literary stories should have stellar character development, and I didn’t find that here. It felt like only the surface was scraped with our trio of protagonists. Plus, the writing is only alright. There are few if any quotable passages and few sentences I would like to highlight and remember. Closer to 2 stars. The tie-breaker is reflecting on some engaging or favorite parts of the story that can redeem it overall. I can’t think of one. So, I’m going to have to say 2 stars.

The boarding school is haunted.A young woman killed herself there and there's been signs of a ghost since.some of the girls try to purposely seek out the ghost.

Briarwood School for Girls is an intriguing setting for this novel, and Disney’s America project is a fascinating piece of history to weave into the story. I thought for sure I’d enjoy this book based on those two things alone, but ultimately, this novel didn’t live up to its promise for me. I couldn’t bring myself to care much about Leonore Littlfield and her friends, and Lucas Bishop and the inner lives of his fellow teachers weren’t particularly compelling to me, either.

With a great premise, this book just turned out to be a rather strange mesh. I liked the aspect of trying to incorporate the history of Disney America (1994, Virginia) with a prominent girls school, but it ended up being two incomplete stories. I would really have liked to see both fleshed out more. There were moments of brilliance, but it just never really connected for me.

A slow, meandering, and unfulfilling read.

Knight certainly writes prettily, and the book has moments of subtle, wry humor, but its mostly populated by long, dragging stretches of dull expository paragraphs and flat, undynamic characters.

I'm a pretty easy sell for books on ghosts and boarding schools, but this one really didn't land. Essentially, nothing happens, no one changes, everything just...exists.

I can see what Knight was *trying* to do, but the content of the book falls short. A few points for the fact that Knight certainly knows his way around a well-crafted sentence, but otherwise I was bored and unmoved.

<i>At Briarwood School for Girls</i> is an enjoyable work of historical fiction, although set in the very recent past of 1993. At that time, Disney had announced a planned American history theme park in Virginia, near the Manassas battleground. The fictional Briarwood School for Girls is the setting for the novel, a high school boarding school, and it's students, faculty and alumna make up fhe cast of characters. Central to the story is its famous alumna, a reclusive, Pulitzer Prize winning play write, a la JD Sallinger. After decades, the Drama Club has been given permission to perform that play. Stories of haunted dorms and teenage pregnancies swirl through the script and the novel, with a little paranormal activity and prophetic dreaming stirred in.

Well written and a quick read, the voices ring true and the story line seems authentic, if a little stretched at times. The character development could be improved, but overall I enjoyed this novel, although the descriptions promised a more gothic take.

Interesting read told from 3 alternative perspectives. Overall the characters were likable. Thank Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued when I read the description for this novel. I grew up in the area that this book is set and I remember the whole Disney disaster very well. Ultimately, I wasn't a big fan of this novel. It was fun for nostalgia purposes, but I found the story to be a little blah. I'm not sure exactly what it was that was off about the book, but something just didn't quite work for me.

“We’ll ask the Ouija board,” she said. “You’re kidding.”

“Do not mock that which you do not understand.”

If all boarding schools are haunted, well it seems fitting characters in the novel will channel them with a Ouija board. Lenore Littlefield, one in a line of steadfast Briarwood girls, is shocked the ‘spirit’ knows her secret, that she is carrying a child. Nothing surprises her, nor history teacher Mr. Bishop more than when she blurts it to him. Basketball player turned actress as punishment for being late for curfew, she takes to the stage in the school play being directed by Coach Fink, her basketball coach. The play, The Phantom of Thornton Hall having been written by former student Eugenia Marsh seems to mirror Littlefield’s situation. Then there is Disney’s plan to build their new theme park “America” nearby, which fires up history teacher Mr. Bishop. After all, what is Disney, builders of fantasy, creators of weak female characters, manipulators of historical truth doing building a ‘theme park’ about our rich history? Maybe Eugenia can save them all, though a recluse the playwright does dash off a letter breaking her silence to denounce the theme park. With her own painful past and failures, is it possible the Pulitzer Playwright and alumni will come out of her seclusion, draw attention to the school, Mr. Bishop hopes so.

He is too involved with Lenore, but what other choice is there? Lenore’s life takes interesting turns during the play and forever after. Fink gives her the part of Jenny, much to the dismay and anger of classmate Thessaly. Naturally there are little dramas throughout, nothing as big as what Lenore is facing. Does the spirit of Elizabeth really communicate with her? What do they have in common? History seems to chase its own tail, repeating… repeating…repeating. How much of Eugenia’s play is true, maybe the biggest scandals are left unsaid, or with creative license were changed in the play? Just how many girls does the ghost visit through time?

Coach Fink finds herself enjoying being the stand-in director, managing the students just as enthusiastically and encouragingly as she does during big games. Yet, she misses so much about Lenore, until she overhears the truth between she and Bishop. Everyone is entangled needing different things from each other. It’s not thwarting Disney’s plan that Eugenia is most vital to, but Lenore’s life.

This isn’t hauntingly terrifying, it’s more a story about being a young woman trapped by circumstances, handled differently through the decades. It is misunderstandings and plans, even for Mr. Bishop and how he thinks Eugenia can bring Disney down. Disney and it’s theme park is a catalyst for Eugenia to have a part. It was a decently written novel, but I think I wanted to feel more for all the characters. I felt a little detached from the females, pregnancy is an emotional time and downright terrifying when you’re a teenager. I needed to connect more with Lenore. I would have loved more time devoted to Eugenia as well.

Publication Date: April 12, 2019

Grove Atlantic

Atlantic Monthly Press

Just okay, lots of potential but a lot of disconnect. Maybe a case of too much going on. Poppy was unnecessary as was the first roommate.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sorry to say I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to. The characters felt too vague, and the setting was bland.I would have liked a richness to the story, if that makes sense? Just an okay read.

I was very excited to get my hands on this one, but unfortunately it was disappointing. The cover art was beautiful and the premise grabbed my attention immediately, but it doesn't play out as well as I hoped. I had a hard time connecting with the characters or really caring about them. The story was much more bland than I expected. It wasn't a bad book, it was just...fine.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was given an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

At Briarwood School for Girls follows three perspectives who are living at the school. One is the history teacher Bishop, one is the coach turned drama teacher Coach Fink, and lastly is Lenore a student who is hiding a secret.

This book is decent. I definitely cared the most about Lenore's pov. She was going to this supposed haunted boarding school, dealing with an accidental pregnancy and trying to adjust being thrown into the play. I don't really understand why we needed the two teachers povs. I don't feel like those characters were flushed enough.

When I originally was interested in the novel I thought there would be more of a paranormal element to it. I found myself disappointed by the lack and then randomly it showed up. It wasn't really explained. Was Lenore talking to this ghost, was she hallucinating it, what was really happening? I almost felt like the plot would have been stronger without it. I really also didn't understand the whole Disney thing. I feel like this novel could have been really strong with some things being left out and other things flushed out more. I enjoyed reading it at times and struggled at others. But overall I found the experience enjoyable.

Tense, insightful, poignant, with beautifully crafted characters and a powerful momentum that keeps the pages turning. This is a novel that will stick with the reader for some time after the final page.

Interesting to read. Good read and I really enjoyed reading about it. Good characters and all rounded read

I was initially drawn to this novel because of the premise - it sounded like a nostalgic kind of story, the kind I would have liked years ago when I was a teenager. When I was younger, I loved reading books about girls who were away at school and who lived what seemed like a much more interesting life than me. Perhaps it is because I am no longer a schoolgirl myself, but I did not enjoy Knight's novel like I thought that I would. The idea is good - an old country school, a young girl with a secret, the prospect of Disney building on (invading) the surrounding land, and remnants of the past haunting the present. However, there was a little too much happening at once, especially with Mr. Bishop and Coach Fink, who didn't seem like they were necessary at all. The narrative jumped from one character to another so quickly that it was difficult to become invested in any of them. I wish that the narrative had primarily focused on Lenore and her story, and been less fragmented.

I’m not sure why I didn’t love this book. The writing is solid. The various plot lines are intriguing. I think I failed to develop any deep feelings for the characters. They didnt feel flat, as the storyline carried me along, but I would have to say that in retrospect, they lacked a certain depth. Still, an enjoyable enough read.

This novel had no redeeming features. I resented the fact that the writer took Sweet Briar College, now known for its victory over trustees to closed it, into a high school boarding school. A well-known writer such as Knight could have done much better.

An unusual book, not what I was expecting and I’m not sure what the purpose or thesis of the story was. Full disclosure - I was a student at a school with a very similar name, in the same part of VA, that has the same school colors and mascot as the boarding school in the story. I was intrigued by the book mostly due to this, of course, and also considering my love of Disney Parks. However, I’m not sure how the true story of Disney planning on building a theme park near this school was important to the plot or the characters of this book. I also wish the author had acknowledged the many similarities to Sweet Briar College, my alma mater, in his acknowledgements. A fine book, but not one I would immediately recommend.

Though the premise and characters had me hopeful, the story just never delivered on the potential for me. The story dragged, the dialogue felt awkward and the characters never grew on me.