Finished Biarcliff Prep over the 4th of July weekend. There is a lot to be learned from reading this book. For example, the idea of Historically Black Boarding Schools is not part of my (rural-ish) upper-Midwest living experience. I appreciated the characters coming financially stable and established families, a celebration of success.

The story is excellent and many middle- high-school students will related to what is happening. There are a lot of characters introduced and much of the story is dialog, with narrative being minimal. So taking in a story like that was a little exhausting to process.

This was, truly, an absolutely great book all around. Peppins, of course, wrote this story for Black readers, specifically young Black women. Even though I am not a part of the main target audience for this novel, I loved reading every single page of it, and would I 100% recommend it to anyone looking for an emotionally packed story about family, friendship, and sisterhood.

I would separate this book into two sections. The first part of it is so fun and such an enjoyable read. It really focuses on setting the story, describing the characters, and presenting Briarcliff Prep—the Historically Black Boarding School that the main character attends. I found that the relationships in the story were all so wonderful and realistic; it made me so happy and giddy to see them interacting with one another. The friendships, the budding romances, the camaraderie, the family dynamics: it made me want to be on campus with them. I didn’t think a book could make me want to go back to high school (of course, my high school wasn’t anywhere near as amazing as Briarcliff Prep, but a girl can dream right).

This part of the novel felt a bit slow, but not in a bad way. I think the Goodreads synopsis is just a little inaccurate. “[…] Avi discovers a devastating secret about her big sister’s boyfriend.” This part doesn’t really take place until the second half of the story, so I was a little confused at first. Peppins really takes her time to describe her main character’s experience at Briarcliff Prep, which was super fun and I loved reading through it. I just wasn’t sure where the story was heading. I absolutely do not consider this an issue with the book itself though, but more so with the book summary.

The second part of this book is a lot more raw and emotionally heavy. It does really take a turn at this point, and I loved the way that Peppins sets it up. It really gives you a full view of her main character’s life. You get both the highs and the lows, and you really feel like you get to know her throughout the story. It was a true emotional rollercoaster since I spent the first part of the book smiling, giggling, and blushing, whereas I was a sobbing mess throughout the second half. It really is a testament to Peppins’ writing skills.

Of course, the story is much more character-focused, than plot-heavy. And I absolutely adored the character relationships in this book. My favourite is the dynamic between the main character and her sister. So complex, so raw, so full of love, loyalty, and all the intricacies of sisterhood. It was beautiful to watch them go through the good and the bad together, and to see the way their relationship molds throughout the story.

I also loved the main character’s relationship with her love interest. Their romance feels so fresh, so young; it was adorable. Sure, they got into arguments at times and occasionally acted out of pettiness or an unwillingness to communicate. But they’re high school kids, so it would’ve been almost unrealistic for their relationship to develop flawlessly. It was so fun to see their love for one another flourish. They’re just a CUTE couple!

I also appreciate the author including a bunch of lgbtq side characters. The representation is peppered here and there into the story, and while it’s made explicitly clear that these characters are queer, it’s something that’s addressed so casually. It’s never considered as some deviation from the norm that causes some big uproar. There are just a bunch of people in the main character’s life who happen to be queer, and they are accepted and loved without a moment of hesitation.

Most of all I loved Avi, the main character. She stood up not only for herself, but also for her friends and family so fearlessly. I wish I could’ve been that level-headed and brave at that age. She knew when an argument wasn’t worth her time or energy, but she also knew where to draw the line when someone took a situation too far. She just felt like such an authentically written character. She had doubts, she navigated friendships and other relationships, she dealt with expectations and failure, she sought out help all while helping those around her. I really loved everything about her.

Overall, an amazing book that I believe is without a doubt worth the read! It is quite heartbreaking though and, as is mentioned at the beginning of the book, it does discuss dating violence and abusive dating relationships, so I would consider this before picking it up.

Avi, her siblings, and her god brother all attend Historically Black Boarding Schools. It’s Avi’s freshman year at Briarcliff Prep and we see her learn more about herself, her capabilities, and her sister Belle’s secret. A secret that puts her in a tough spot and threatens to destroy the bond between them.

This is yet another book I wish existed when I was younger. Just seeing a young Black girl with ambition and academic/career goals is so powerful. Really Avi’s entire family has so many positive things going for them. So often, the popular narrative about Black students is that being concerned about academics isn’t cool. All of these characters defy stereotypes, and I really appreciate that.

Of course my heart just swelled with all the mention and nods to Black culture and prominent Black people in history. Unfortunately, the high cost of out of state tuition meant my dream to attend and HBCU never became a reality, but I felt like I got a secondhand fictional experience of it. I love that the classes examined Black texts and media. I also love the personal investment the teachers and staff have in the students reaching their best potential. That’s something PWI’s lack in a major way. At least for Black and brown kids.

The major theme in this book is domestic violence. I often read about this topic in books from the character it’s happening to, so I like that we got the POV of a character who was close to the victim. It’s a really tough spot to be in when you want to protect someone you care about, but you also want to respect their wishes. I really felt for Avi being in such a difficult position.

This is really just a story about Avi coming into her own and learning to navigate high school. It’s not a page turner, but that’s not a bad thing. We need well written, regular Black girl hood stories and that’s what this is. It’s especially necessary because of the HBBS angle.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the eARC!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Disney Publishing Worldwide and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I was quite impressed by the full spectrum of representation. It’s well written, it hits on an array of subjects and handles them all properly.

Unfortunately this was a DNF as it expired on my KOBO when I got to 19%. I had Covid in my home and couldn't read for about two weeks.

I'm hoping it will be a good fit for the school library. I like the representation (ethnicities, gender and sexualities) and thought it was written in a fairly engaging way. for students. I also LOVED that it was marketed as A Different World for a new generation.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Trigger warning:domestic violence, violence against women

This book hit home in many ways. There are times in friendships where you have to make tough decisions, at the risk of losing a loved one. The main character is between a rock and lava. I found this book to be an emotion filled experience. It sheds light on an epidemic that is gaining traction globally. Teen violence is on the rise. We need to talk about it and help teens that are on both sides of this. I loved this book and the the light it sheds on an epidemic.

Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins is a wonderful debut novel!
I haven't had this much fun reading a YA story in some time!

Woah! Peppins knows how to keep a reader engaged and completely hooked!
This book was so amazingly written, it’s hard to believe it’s Peppins first book!
The dialogue and the pacing was incredibly well done that made this book very hard to put down.
This was so good! The way Brianna writes characters makes them feel so ridiculously real. I felt like I was living in this book when I was reading it.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Disney Publishing Worldwide,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC! The characters are what make this story move forward, as well as the overall message of unity and sisterhood. The actual story itself leaves a lot to be desired. It was slow to start and unfortunately did not pick up at any point.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication date in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this YA novel, that focus on Avi, a freshman at a HBBS (historically black boarding school). The novel follows Avi as she navigates her new surroundings, confronting bullies, finding love, and struggling to be the perfect daughter and sister.

Enjoyable YA read, I still love teenage angst even at my old age, and Briarcliff would have been the kind of school I would have wanted to attend.

I loved exploring the world of Briarcliff, a Historically Black Boarding School through Avi’s eyes, especially since this wasn’t a perspective I’ve ever experienced or read about before. I found myself wishing I were friends with Avi and her found family on campus, which speaks to Peppin’s character development. The plot took a while to develop, but was well worth it in the end!

While this book is very much a sister story shaken by one of the sisters tumultuous relationships, that alone does not define Briarcliff Prep. I was happy to read that the MC had such a full life of her own. Her own relationship, her own goals, friends and life. The main characters and side characters were SO well rounded & as an HBCU grad myself, I felt nostalgic reading about this fictional HBBS. It was a true love letter to black girls that everyone can enjoy!

What a wonderful ode to Black womanhood and sister love! Briarcliff Prep is a touching and emotionally driven story in a setting that highlights and celebrates Black history. The portrayal of Avi’s relationship with her sister is nuanced and realistic, and the discussion of dating violence and unhealthy relationships is sensitively handled. I enjoyed the cast of characters and loved Avi’s interactions with friends and how she navigates her own burgeoning relationship. I appreciated that Avi had a solid network of friends and family who help her navigate a difficult situation. The novel tackles a myriad of important issues and can serve as an important conversation starter about relationships, abuse, victim blaming and gaslighting. Briacliff Prep is a timely and insightful book and I highly recommend it to teen and adult readers.

There is nothing like a well done boarding school book, and Briarcliff Prep did not disappoint. The characters were believable, loving but imperfect, and I was rooting for them to grow and succeed. The story was well paced and the references to other books, authors, and icons sprinkled throughout were fun. It was also just nice to not read another cookie-cutter book about rich white girls at boarding school. I will note that as a middle-aged white lady I am pretty far from being the target audience of this book, and that my opinion should not be centred, but I loved it.

Thank you, Disney Publishing Worldwide, for allowing me to read Briarcliff Prep early!

I really enjoyed this debut. Emotional, anxiety-inducing and thrilling, Briarcliff Prep is very much what the author intended it to be. A love letter to Blackness, and Black girls in particular. A charming story of two sisters at a private academy and a problematic golden boyfriend who creates a rift in their relationship.