I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. 3.5 star rating.
This is a powerful memoir about bullying and how early experiences can shI received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. 3.5 star rating.
This is a powerful memoir about bullying and how early experiences can shape who we become later in life. It's a story about the need to fit in and not be alone, as well as a story about finding yourself and being happy with who you are. This book follows the year Rebecca Starford spent at boarding school in Silver Creek and her experiences and relationships with the staff and the other girls in her house. The book begins with Rebecca travelling alone to Silver Creek as an adult and reliving her time spent at the school. While most of the book focuses on her year at the boarding school, we are also given a peeks into her life after school, including her romantic relationships and her relationship with her family.
I enjoyed this book immensely, but at some points I felt disconnected because of the setting of the book. I'm very much a city girl who doesn't enjoy the outdoors very much, so I didn't particularly connect with the hiking and outdoorsy experiences that Bec described. However, that's only my personal preference and I think other readers who enjoy the outdoors would really love this book.
The writing was brilliant and I could completely understand how Bec felt as a teenager and as an adult reflecting on her experiences. I would feel outraged at some of the injustices, at the way the teachers and staff behaved, and at the rigid and ridiculous Silver Creek rules. Sometimes I would forget that it was a memoir but then it would hit me that most of the things that happened in the book were true. I was, however, a little bit confused about the prologue. There was nothing in the book that linked back to the prologue, which makes it seem like it was there for shock value. If it was there for shock value, I think that's a bit unnecessary and misleading.
I also like all of the Aussie references, but I think it might be difficult for a reader who isn't Australian to follow along without a lot of Googling.
Overall, I thought this book was great in describing boarding school life and sending a message about school bullying. It cast a light on how terrible relationships between females can be. It was a great read that kept me wanting to know what happened next. However, I didn't think it was special enough to warrant a 5 star rating. My rating was also lowered because I couldn't personally connect to the setting and the outdoorsy aspect of the book. ...more
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