The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) features a retelling (sorta?) of the german fairy tale “The 12 Dancing Princesses” but with a twist : it’s set in a boarding school for girls with mental health issues. Combining the theme of a classic story and then adding a mental health rep ~ The author is a GENIUS.
** Content warnings : Graphic scenes related to self-harm and multiple mentions of suicide. The story might make a lot of people uncomfortable for these factors. I’m not discouraging you in any way to read this (amazing) book, but please consider the trigger warnings before picking it up. **

TCSFTG was unlike any book I’ve ever read. The story was so thoughtfully written. It changed my perspective of many mental health factors. I’m so, so glad that I chose to read this book. I loved reading about Moira and the other 12 girls in the Castle School with my whole heart.The author made sure to give all of the characters their own voice, which in turn made them so real to me.

The story mainly focuses on Moira (love, love her name). Even though it took her a while to get there ~ which just shows that grief doesn’t have an expiry date; Moira’s journey towards accepting the tragic events of her life made me feel so proud of her. Kudos to the author for her extensive research on mental health. I learnt so many important stuff (Bonus points to Moira for stating random facts out of nowhere, lol) ,and just… the whole reading experience was surreal. The atmospheric setting of the boarding school made reading the book so much better too. From issues of misogyny to self-acceptance, the story had a little bit of everything. 💚

My only complain is this : The change in Moira’s relationship with her mom was sudden, and I wanted to see more from that aspect.

Favorite quotes :
• “We’re more than the worst things that happen to us.”
• “But maybe it shouldn’t be another person who makes us feel good about ourselves. Or bad about ourselves, either, you know?”
• “We can’t keep the people we love alive by putting our lives on hold. Time marches on, even when we don’t want it too.”

I can’t recommend this book enough.

This book is incredibly written and has a unique story. It’s about a girl named Moira who is sent to a boarding school thinking that she is being punished. She isn’t interested in having therapy by Dr. Prince and talking about her best friend’s death or befriend the girls at the school. On the first night, she and her roommate hear music outside the castle and decide to go check it out and realize that Dr. Prince has some secrets that he isn’t telling them.

This was such a greatly written book with girls who have different mental health problems and I think the author approached it the right way. At first, I was expecting it to be a thriller because of the look of the cover and the sound of the book but it’s more of a contemporary book about mental health and I’m not disappointed about it. I was instantly hooked from the first chapter because of the writing style. It was very flowing and persuasive to keep the readers hooked. The pacing was also perfect and the author wrote a chapter about each of the girls mentioned in the book with their disorders and mental health problems.

I enjoyed the characters in this book. Moira is going through depression after her best friend’s death but doesn’t think she is depressed. She only wants to live in her quiet life not doing anything because she doesn’t want to move on. I enjoyed her character development throughout the book which you will see if you read it. I also enjoyed the side characters in this book who played great roles in the book. There is some romance in this book though it’s not a main factor of the story.

The ending for this book was great and ended off strong. Overall this was a great book. I loved this book so much and haven’t read anything like it. I had no problems with this book and I recommend it to those who enjoy books by Jennifer Niven and John Green.

I received a pre-publication copy of this book from Netgalley.

This book was stunningly good.

Moira is being sent away. Her parents are sending her to The Castle School. Moira has never heard of it, but her parents have a glossy brochure to show her. They've also made certain that she's escorted to the airport by rather burly guards. They know that she won't want to go. Moira knows that whatever this school is, it's a punishment for getting a tattoo. When she finally lands at the airport in Maine, a van from the school is waiting for her. The side of the van clearly reads The Castle School. Barely visible, in painted-over shadow letters, is the phrase "for Troubled Girls." The Castle School is not a reform school, but it's also clearly not a place where anyone wants to go.

Moira is the last of the 12 students admitted that semester. Each girl is there for a different reason. The book shares brief chapters from the point of view of each of the other students, allowing readers to see the story that brought them to the school. One is an addict, one is an alcoholic. One has trichotillomania, although it is never given that name. (Trichotillomania is a compulsive behavior disorder where individuals pluck their hair. I had it as a young teen, although it was never diagnosed. Seeing it in a book was a remarkable sensation, as I have never seen a book treat this disorder with any sensitivity, and this book does. I wish I had had a book like this when I was young.)

Her first night at the school, Moira hears music in the distance. Her second night, she realizes the lock on her window has busted, and she climb down. Moira and her roommate discover that there's another Castle School nearby, this one for boys. They are invited inside, and it's completely different from their school. At the girls' school, it's cold and barren-feeling. The girls have a bedtime. Here, there's a fire in the fireplace, and the boys keep late hours. A boy invites Moira to dance, and it's only here that she can finally relax. Soon, the rest of the girls are joining Moira, heading out to dance every night at the boy's school.

Each of the girls has been sent to the Castle School for a reason, and the dancing is not helping them. In fact, it may be making their problems worse still . . .

There's a great deal going on this book, and all of it is wonderful. The fairy tale echoes, the mystery of Moira's story, the mystery of the school . . . it's all very compelling. I started reading and didn't really stop until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. In some ways, it reminded me of one of my favorite books from my childhood, Life Without Friends by Ellen Emerson White. In that book, Beverly is recovering from recent traumatic events. Part of her path to healing is through regular conversations with a therapist that helps her talk about those events. Dr. Prince, the therapist in charge of The Castle School, reminded me of Beverly's therapist at times, although they had slightly different methods. (I can't imagine Dr. Prince offering Moira a cigarette, for instance. Ah, the 1980s were a different world.)

I don't know if this book will stick with contemporary readers the way that Ellen Emerson White's book stuck with me. I rather hope it does.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Before I started this book, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it because I think it could have gone both ways for me. However, as soon as I started it, it grabbed hold of me. The protagonist, Moira Dreyfuss, is being sent to The Castle School — an all-girls boarding school located in the Maine woods — by her parents when she causes too much trouble for them after (and before) the death of her friend. Moira was an interesting character and I wanted to read on to know more about her from the very start. After she arrived at the castle and met the other students, I found the pace of the plot to slow down a bit. It was really only the character interactions that kept me interested. However, the underlying mystery — of Moira’s past and best friend, when they started hearing music which made them realize they might not be isolated after all, and when they discover that there is an identical Castle School that is filled with boys — brought me back into the story and that’s when I couldn’t stop reading. Although I liked the mystery aspects, what I liked more was the focus of the character’s mental health and how they were overcoming them. The students at the Castle School had something they wanted to recover from, which was the reason they were sent to the school, and I really liked how we got to see their progress throughout the story and a little about their pasts as well. Especially with Moira, we got to see how she progressed in her sessions and understood/acknowledged what was holding her back. And we also got to see more of her relationship with her parents from more than one side.

The way the book was written was lovely, the author, Alyssa B. Sheinmel, did a wonderful job writing it. I have not read other books by the author but I’ve heard great things about them and after finishing this book, I’ll be sure to check them out.

I really enjoyed this novel and definitely recommend it. Overall, I rate The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) 4/5 stars.

Having read a book by Alyssa Sheinmel before, I had a general idea of the type of book I was picking up when starting The Castle School (for Troubled Girls). I knew there were going to be psychological aspects to it, a deeper meaning than you originally thought, and maybe a twist or turn here or there. I’m happy to report, I got all those things and more.

The story followed Moira as she is sent to a boarding school/treatment facility in the middle of the Main woods where twelve girls live and receive treatment for an array of issues from Dr. Prince. I have to say I love all the characters in this book, no matter how creepy some of them seem to be. I feel like Moira was an important part of the story being the main character, but the other 11 girls, Dr. Prince, Randy, and some other characters I won’t spoil the story by mentioning were all imperative to the story being as good as it was. These side characters really brought the excitement, emotions, and reality to this story out.

I’m not sure what I thought I was starting to read, but while this book is about loss and depression and a school full of girls with issues they are trying to work through, I got a bit of a mystery vibe throughout. This excited me because I love mystery novels. With that said, it was not the mystery type I was use to, but kept be hooked the entire way. I was fully convinced the Prince’s were going to end up being some crazy doctors experimenting on girls without their parent’s knowledge. I was convinced Randy was a complete creeper at first, and I was sure this was going to end a completely different way. I was, however, not disappointed in how this played out.

Surprising to say, I was actually quite emotional towards the end of this book. Where I almost expected some crazy plot twist with weird doctors and parent’s rushing to save their kids, the ending was very cathartic. I think it showed the true help therapy can do for people and how sometimes we don’t always see things the way we should while dealing with grief. There was a lot to unpack in the last five or so chapters of this book and I couldn’t put it down once I got there. I had to see how it ended, even through my teary eyes. Be prepared when you reach this part in the book… you may need some tissues. Many kudos to Sheinmel for that surprise. I was not expecting to cry.

This book truly surprised me. I enjoyed Sheinmel’s previous novel, A Danger to Herself and Others (link to the review below), but I enjoyed The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) even more. Sheinmel touched on the hard stuff that a lot of people don’t like to approach, such as cutting, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and more. Not only touching on them, but talking about the realities of battling those issues and learning to live a more normal life using therapy and exercises to get you there. I really enjoyed this novel and I am, yet again, awaiting Sheinmel’s next novel.

**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel is a hard hitting YA contemporary mystery novel.  It's about a girl named Moira whose parents ship her off to The Castle School after the loss of her best friend sends her into a downward spiral.  The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) publishes on March 2nd, 2021.  I gave it four stars on Goodreads.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

When Moira Dreyfuss's parents announce that they're sending her to an all-girls boarding school deep in the Maine woods, Moira isn't fooled. She knows her parents are punishing her; she's been too much trouble since her best friend, Nathan, died―and for a while before that. At the Castle School, isolated from the rest of the world, Moira will be expected to pour her heart out to the odd headmaster, Dr. Prince. But she isn't interested in getting over Nathan's death or befriending her fellow students.
On her first night there, Moira hears distant music. On her second, she discovers the lock on her window is broken. On her third, she and her roommate venture outside...and learn that they're not so isolated after all. There's another, very different, Castle School nearby―this one filled with boys whose parents sent them away, too.
Moira is convinced that the Castle Schools and the doctors who run them are hiding something. But exploring the schools will force Moira to confront her overwhelming grief―and the real reasons her parents sent her away.

This isn't my first Alyssa Sheinmel.  I read and loved What Kind of Girl by her last year.  You can find my review of it here.  Ultimately, my love of that book was what drew me to The Castle School.  I loved how Alyssa Sheinmel constructed What Kind of Girl, and while I didn't love The Castle School as much as the first, I still ended up really enjoying it.

Moira is a fascinating character.  She's got a very interesting perspective, and it was really interesting to watch her develop over the course of the novel.  She was well developed and felt realistic.  The way she internalized her grief was very heartbreaking but beautifully done.

I didn't find the mystery part of this story that compelling.  The mysterious music and what was going on wasn't the most exciting part of the story and I found that the resolution to that line of build up wasn't the most exciting part.  I was actually a bit let down.  However, I did love how this story dealt with mental illness and the journeys that the characters went on over the course of it were the real star of the show.  I suppose without that mystery aspect the novel wouldn't have been published, so I understand the purpose of it.  And I will admit that it did keep me guessing.  For a good while I definitely thought this was some kind of secret fantasy novel, but that's on me for not reading the summary properly or paying enough attention.

The side characters in the story were well developed as well, and I genuinely felt like most of the characters showed growth over the course of the novel.  Even though we were focussed on Moira, we did get snippets of the other girls and where they started out to help us see the change in where they ended up.  

I also really enjoyed the romance that developed over the course of the story.  It was a good amount of slow burn, and I appreciated how he was good to her and understood her perspective.  I also appreciated how she stood up for him.  They felt like a really well suited couple.

Overall, this is a well written and realistic story about how grief can effect us.  I highly recommend it that you check it out.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. There is a slight mystery element throughout the book, but this book is so much more about grief and mental health and I loved how it represented all different kinds of mental health issues. Being a mental health professional and dealing with anxiety myself, I’m always worried that books won’t fairly represent both treatment and actual disorders and Alyssa Sheinmel did a great job depicting both the setting and the mental health problems each of the 12 girls deal with.

I fell in love with all the characters, and enjoyed that the book gave us brief POVs about how each of the characters ended up at The Castle School but ultimately returned to Moria’s POV to tell the actual story. I think it helped move the plot along relatively quickly and also spoke to how what we perceive of other people’s issues isn’t always accurate. The characters all had their issues and flaws, but were quite loveable and I got very invested in their wellbeing. I highly recommend picking up this book, I think it can speak to just about anyone.
4.5/5 stars

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) is a book that sticks with you. The book is told from Moira’s point of view, but rotating chapters also feature the stories of each of the girls at Castle School. As the main character, Moira is relatable and feels rooted in truth. In fact, all the girls do. Their truths can be hard to read about, but are moving nonetheless.

Moira’s personal growth, as well as her relationships with the other girls are the highlight of the book. There’s are some tangential love interest moments that move the story forward, but don’t have the impact that the friendships do.

Author Alyssa Sheinmel does a fantastic job creating a balance between light and dark, which is important, because The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) is not an easy read. At times, it was really hard. There are a number of elements that could be triggering for readers (see editor’s note). And while most readers may not identify with the severity of each girls’ specific issues, they will recognize notes of them in their own lives. This is an excellent read that will appeal to young readers and serves as an excellent resource for mothers of young girls.

Editor’s note: The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) features multiple topics that could be triggers — self harm, eating disorders, grief, addiction, alcoholism, cancer, drug abuse, death, blood, suicidal thought

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel isn’t what I expected it to be but I still really enjoyed it. The story is narrated through the eyes of Moira Dreyfuss but it also features small sections that introduce the other girls from the school. Please be aware that this book has content which some readers might find triggering.

This book had an interesting storyline that featured a fun whodunnit music mystery and complex characters which I found to be very intriguing. I really enjoyed discovering more about each one of the girls and why their family sent them to the school. I also liked how the author wrote about mental health in this book.

My heart broke for Moira because she had such a difficult time trying to navigate life after the death of her only friend. She was very angry and felt guilty for living when Nathan couldn’t.

This was a great book and I can’t wait to see what this author does next.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Title: The Castle School (for Troubled Girls)
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Pub. Date: March 2, 2021
Rating: 5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t expect this to become a new favorite or be such an emotional ride.

I didn’t expect to connect to this book as much as I did.
I didn’t expect to sob through the ending as my own hurts and pains were reflected.
Now, I can’t relate exactly to anything that happens in this book, but loss is something I know. So, on some level I connected with Moira.

I really didn’t expect to like this book. I went into it with certain expectations – not realizing it was going to be on the heavier side of dealing with mental health. I guess I expected a sad story, but framed in mystery-thriller kind of way, with the 12 Dancing Princesses as inspiration. For a good part of this book, I was kind of “meh” not really caring, but not hating. It was good, just not what I was expecting. I was never bored reading it, kept turning the pages to find out what happens next, but there was a disconnect, a lack of care. Then I hit the 75% mark, and things just clicked. Suddenly I was full of emotions, sobbing – I had to stop reading a few times because of how heartbroken and seen I felt.

I was suddenly relating to this book in a way I never expected, and it hurt. The journey Moira goes through – especially towards the end – ripped me apart. I can’t even imagine what losing your best friend feels like, but I felt her pain.
I honestly don’t know if I can accurately describe why I find this book so good, or how it was able to connect with me so deeply. I can’t speak on whether or not the representation is good, but I can say I did like how it was explained – how each girl explained why. It wasn’t just some adult projecting their fears – which, okay, did happen – but it’s all from the eyes of the girls.

I can say that Moira is such a great character, and watching her learn, discover and grow through the course of this book was phenomenal. Her ever altering opinion and relationship with Dr. Prince was fantastic – and I loved how he was just there for her and let her open up on her own time.
Her journey with her mother and how when we feel lost or are hurting and don’t know how to accurately deal can cloud our vision. It can create adversaries where there might not be any. How it can alter our perceptions and cause us to lash out.
Moira’s relationships with all the people in her life are so different, and so brilliant and it all just feels so relatable.

This book surprised me, and I’ve never been happier to be surprised. I definitely didn’t expect to cry tonight – sob my way through the ending. This book was one I didn’t know I needed. It was almost an act of catharsis. It’s amazing how we can just bottle everything up and continue on like nothing is the matter – that nothing is bothering us. If we refuse to acknowledge, then it can’t hurt us. I felt seen by this book, and I can honestly say that I recommend everyone picking it up and reading it. You won’t be disappointed.

I thought The Castle School for Troubled Girls was a powerful story about mental health and friendship, but ultimately found it difficult to get into until roughly 20% in.

I find the summary to be kind of misleading. This is more of a hard-hitting contemporary, but the summary sounds like it's some sort of mystery/thriller about a spooky boarding school.

Moira's life starts to unravel once she starts skipping school and sneaking out to be with her sick best friend. Once her friend is gone, why bother returning to school? Her parents have had enough and send her away to the middle of nowhere—the Castle School, a school for troubled girls. One night, Moira hears music in the distance and decides to sneak out with her roommate. She had no idea that she would find an identical Castle School that houses all boys. Why are they being kept separate? And why are they being treated differently, too?

So I can see where the whole second castle idea can seem mysterious, but this was first and foremost a mental health story. Through trauma, grief, and counseling the girls at this school learn how to overcome their demons and go on to live more fulfilling lives. Moira is hesitant at first, not thinking she really needs to be there, but once she leans in to the practices of the school, she gets a lot out of it.

I enjoyed getting to know all the girls at the Castle School and loved that there were such a wide range of mental health issues being covered—eating disorders, OCD, self harm, depression, ect. All the girls felt unique and authentic as they each dealt with their specific issue in different ways. I never felt that the writing was too overwhelming with the number of mental illnesses being tackled and I think the author did a really great job.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't expecting to love this book this much when I first started reading it. I can't even tell you why. I knew I was going to enjoy it, but I fell in love.

This is a book about grief. More than anything else, that's what this is about.
I loved the look into Moira's grief. And while I haven't lost someone in exactly the same way, I felt seen. It hit so close to home. I cried. Multiple times.

Now, there are other girls dealing with their own issues at The Castle School (including OCD, alcoholism, drug addiction, cutting, selective mutism, ADHD...) and I do not feel qualified to judge how well represented these were. I really liked seeing the differences in the girls and they were a great part of Moira's story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So. First things first. This read isn't dark academia like I thought it was, but ended up being a personal contemporary story about mental illness, grief, and the meaning of friendship. Moira is sent to The Castle School after the death of her best friend Nathan. She's not sure why she's there, but hypothesizes that she's a disappointment to her parents and this is a punishment. Of course, she's in for more than just the basic boarding school experience, being only one of twelve girls at the school and discovering that the campus has a twin.

I enjoyed Moira as a protagonist. She can be headstrong but cautious, and tries to do right by the other girls in the castle even though she perceives herself as different from them. Her "issues" aren't so visible as theirs, after all. Her grief over missing Nathan is so easy to empathize with even though I'm sure few people have experienced a bond as strong as theirs. It was an honor to see her grow and change during the story, especially as she learns she can care for other friends and they won't replace Nathan in her heart.

The side characters are all very well-developed, most of all Moira's roommate Eleanor. The girls spend almost every moment together, so there were many opportunities to show their personalities beside the interstitial backstory chapters. I think my favorite character was Eleanor aside from Moira, simply because she had the most depth. There's also a small romance element that I found cute, if a little odd! Moira and her eventual love interest definitely fit together well, though, and I totally understood by the end of the novel.

This story is about how perception isn't always accurate, and I found that true to my reading experience. Once I stopped judging the book against what I thought it should be, I enjoyed myself so much more. That's why I'd recommend this as an escapist weekend novel, or something to take with you on vacation.

One issue I wish had been handled better is the parents. The book kind of sends the message that all parents are well-intentioned and they've sent their kids because they want the best for them. I believe the fact that kids with mental health challenges deserve to receive help can coexist with the fact that some of their parents may not want the best for them and may end up harming the kids by sending them away. We should honor that story as well, because there are all types of parents out there just as there are all types of kids. The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) does so much to show the girls' wellbeing on a scale, so I just wanted the book to back that up by understanding that not everyone has the same parental experience.

I'm giving The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) 4/5 stars. Thank you again to Sourcebooks and TBR and Beyond Tours for sharing a copy with me.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses fairytale meets Girl, Interrupted in this unique YA novel by Alyssa Sheinmel. I really enjoyed this story, although I had no idea what to expect when it started. By the time I finished, I was left with an honest and heartfelt portrayal of grief and mental illness and the role of therapy plays to bring healing.

This story centers on Moira, a teen girl who recently lost her best friend to cancer. Unable to accept the tragic loss, Moira begins to act out-- skipping school, getting a tattoo, refusing to speak, fighting with her parents. Her parents end up sending her to The Castle School (for Troubled Girls), a mysterious castle located in the middle of nowhere in Maine. When Moira arrives at the cold dark castle, she meets 11 other girls who are all struggling with mental illnesses of their own and the enigmatic Mr. Prince who runs the "school" with some unusual tactics.

This story is told from Moira's perspective, but interspersed with Moira's story there are vignettes from each of the girls at the Castle School. I thought it was so interesting to read the little bits of each girl's story and better understand their struggles.

Also, I am not an expert on psychology or therapy, but I thought the depiction of the therapy sessions in this novel were honest, healthy and helpful. I enjoyed reading about Moira's progress through her grief and how she learned to accept it and move on in a healthy way.

Again, this was a unique story that started out feeling a bit like a fairytale but ended up being something else completely different. And I enjoyed the journey!

Moira Dreyfuss is seventeen years old and she lives in Manhattan. Even though she lives in one of the most exciting cities in the world, Moira feels alone. Her best (and only) friend, Nathan, has recently lost his battle with cancer and Moira is truly struggling to cope with this loss. She starts skipping school, acting out, refusing to eat, and even uses a fake ID to get a tattoo behind her parents’ back. At their wit’s end because they don’t know how to help her, Moira’s parents opt to send her away to The Castle School, a boarding school located in rural Maine along the coast. The headmaster is a doctor so not only will Moira attend classes to continue her school, but she will also attend therapy sessions with the headmaster.

As the school’s name implies, The Castle School is just that, a castle, and it looks like something out of a Gothic novel. Couple that with bars on the windows and the confiscation of all electronics and Moira is practically a prisoner, completely cut off from the outside world. I think because of this eerie, remote setting and the way Moira is introduced to the school, I was expecting this novel to be a mystery, thriller, or even a horror story (something along the lines of a Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children novel), but it’s none of those things. While there are a few small mysteries sprinkled throughout, by and large, The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel is a YA contemporary that explores grief, mental illness, and dysfunctional family relationships.

There are actually twelve girls in all at the school, but Moira is the one we follow most closely. We follow her as she meets and gradually begins to bond with the rest of the girls and as she learns why each of them has ended up at the school. Each girl’s story was just as heartbreaking and lonely as Moira’s, and each girl also had a history of mental illness, so it was great to watch them all bond and act as a support system for each other. Aside from watching Moira interact with these girls and start to form friendships, we also follow Moira to her therapy sessions, which were unusual, in part because Moira is so resistant to the idea of exploring her own thoughts and feelings about where she is in life. Instead, she spends most of her sessions asking the Doctor questions about his school. Why a castle? Why only twelve girls?, etc. He patiently humors her and answers her questions as he waits for her to come around and willingly discuss why she has landed at his school. I found that doctor/patient relationship quite interesting to watch develop, particularly because it is through Moira’s questions that we learn more about the school and rhyme or reason as to why the doctor runs thing as he does.

In addition to being an exploration of grief and mental illness, The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) is also a coming of age story in the sense that Moira has to figure out who she is and what her place in this world is without her best friend by her side. Moira’s journey is heartbreaking at times and the author does a wonderful job of making the overall story a compelling one that I found myself completely invested in.

The blurb will make you think this is a strange, Gothic mystery of some kind, with lightning and hidden rooms and possibly damsels in distress. It's not; it's a careful, involved, nuanced exploration of grief and other mental difficulties. Although the story is mostly Moira's, her classmates each get a chapter to describe ther background and what brought them to the school. They are from all backgrounds and have many different problems, but they are all teenage girls and it's lovely to see them come together.

I did think the relationship was kind of bolted on, but I find that's often true in YA novels, and it was kind of sweet. I just felt it was a little unnecessary.

I loved watching Moira slowly start to realise the motives of people around her, watching her start to notice things again and pay attention to things. It was very touching.

Over all, a great read and really nice. I cried a bit! I'll be recommending this one.

I received an ARC thanks to the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of the author's prior work (A Danger To Herself And Others), which made me want to read this on it's own. The cover, title, and blurb only solidified that desire. Mental illness is addressed. Grief. Family conflict. All of these big topic things that need to be discussed with teenagers because these experiences are normal but largely ignored. This creates the stigma that it is not okay to not be okay, which is not okay (had to, sorry!).

It addressed all this tough topics well, but it felt surface level. None of it was really fully explored. Yes, we experience Moira's emotions and struggle, but I didn't feel fully connected to her. I love the looks into the past (of Moira and the other girls), but wish there was more. I think the surprise in the forest really took away from the story rather than adding to it. I would have rather had Moira exploring all aspects of The Castle to find evidence rather than those trips, which felt pointless in the end. The other character those trips did effect could had the same arc without it if approached from a different way.

I enjoyed Randy, and wish there was more development with him and his relationship with Moira. My favorite scenes were those in the kitchen and I would have loved to see more of that.

Overall, it'll likely be for some, but not for me.

I started reading The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) awhile back after I was approved for it. I enjoying it and the writing. It's a wonderful book about the different mental illnesses people deal with. But it IS a slower and thought provoking novel. I'm not sure if I'm in the right headspace, myself, to have fully enjoyed the book to it's full potential. Which is why it took me awhile to finish it. I definitely recommend giving it a try, though.

The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel is a young adult contemporary novel about a teenage girl grieving a loss so large her parents send her to a therapeutic girl’s school in a castle in the woods of Maine.
Alyssa is a factoid loving Manhattanite who has spent months in deep mourning. Without consulting her her parent’s hire a duo of bodyguards to escort her to a mysterious school called The Castle School run by Dr. Prince. At first, Alyssa is predictably reluctant to participate in any of the opportunities at the unusual school but finds herself drawn into the personalities of the other eleven girls residing there and the mystery of the matching boys castle on the other side of the woods.
The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) is partly a literary novel about what unchecked trauma looks like in teen girls but also with a mystery with hints of a modern day retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. From the point of view of the other girls we see struggles with compulsive stealing, cutting, excessive drinking, anorexia and drug abuse. As Moira explores the two castles, she learns more about her new roommates and discovers more about what method of healing they are supposed to be practicing at The Castle.
I think readers will enjoy Moira and her researched facts into the everyday words and expressions we use. It adds a little extra to the novel and elevates the text. She is deeply affected by her loss but still interested enough in the people around her to move the story forward. The lessons she learns about grief, forgiveness and life after loss are something we can all apply to our own lives and I found it really relatable. I recommend this novel to readers of all ages. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4

My copy of The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel was provided by NetGalley and the publisher for review purposes.