Alyssa Sheinmel

Paralyzed by grief, Moira feels punished when her parents send her to a therapeutic boarding school in Maine where she meets eleven other troubled girls and gradually begins to understand her parents' true intentions behind sending her there.

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls)

Ellie M.

Heads up, this book is full of CONTENT WARNINGS. Before reading ahead, please be informed of the following CWs/TWs:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Drug Use/Addiction
- Self-Harm
- Trichotillomania 
- Eating Disorder (ED)
- Anorexia

I unfortunately had to DNF at 20%. I did not find myself enjoying this book at all. I really wanted to give it a try, but the story wasn't interesting enough for me to continue. I applaud how this book brutally deep dives into mental illnesses, but the pacing was enough put me off. With that amount of progress, I expected at least something to keep me afloat, but it did not live up to my expectations of this book as a whole.

Crystal L

Only "troubled" girls are sent to The Castle School, so why is Moira being sent there? Moira isn't a troubled kid, right? Sure, she got a tattoo, skipped a lot of school, and sometimes forgets to eat, but that doesn't make her a troubled kid. Plus she's still dealing with the death of her best friend so who can really blame her? Apparently, her parents can. Upon arrival at The Castle School, it's clear that things really aren't right here. Why are there only 12 girls, why don't they have real classes, and why is there another castle not far away? Upon discovering a second castle, seemingly the exact opposite of the first castle, the story really develops. As we learn more about Moira, the Castle school really develops and takes some surprising twists. Overall, a positive portrayal of mental health diagnoses, trauma, and processing it all through therapy. 

4/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Set in an experimental boarding school for teens dealing with trauma, The Castle School (for Troubled Girls)follows one girl's journey through grief and her eleven classmates, each with their own issues, that help her find a path to healing. Perfect for fans of Kathleen Glasgow, this atmospheric, emotional tear-jerker will leave you speechless. 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. Praise for The Castle School (for Troubled Girls): "Achingly beautiful. Moira's story gripped me from the first page and held me fast long after I finished reading."--Gilly Segal, New York Timesbestselling co-author of I'm Not Dying with You Tonight "Hooked me from page one. I couldn't stop reading until I had every single answer."--Francesca Zappia, author of Eliza and Her Monsters "Beneath the trappings of a fast-paced mystery, this novel holds a heartrending exploration of adolescent grief... Memorable."--Booklist "Complex and layered... A heartfelt exploration of grief, guilt, and recovery."--School Library Journal "Mental health awareness wrapped in a captivating storyline."--Kirkus "An effective exploration of mental illness, and it will share a coveted place on reading lists with Laurie Halse Anderson and Patricia McCormick."--BCCB Also by Alyssa Sheinmel: A Danger to Herself and Others What Kind of Girl

Chrissie Gerber

"The first thing they tell me is that the school is called the Castle and the campus is called the Kingdom."

In this book we follow Moira after the death of her best friend Nathan, as she tries to deal with her grief.  She got stuck in the first phase of grief, denial.  And her mother decided to send her to the Castle School to get help.  There she meets eleven other girls with their own difficulties, makes new friends and learns to let go...

I like that Alyssa delves into each of the girls' backstories.  Giving us a glimpse into what they feel and how they think makes them feel real and more relatable.  I don't have a lot of knowledge when it comes to mental illnesses, but this book had an impact on me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the early release to read and provide my opinion on.

laura

* I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

I thought this book was really unique read. I think this book reminds me so much of a book like recovery road or the older t.v show higher ground. I LIKED how this book tackled so many issues that young people face today like drugs, alcohol cutting but also a massive focus on grief and PTSD. This book also focused on the lost of friendship and that really struck. me. I really did like the chapters the POV of the girls in this story. The mystery did not wow me, but I really enjoyed the read!

Megan

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

Cara Johnson

I loved this book. It was not what I was expecting at all. I think I was expecting some mystery out a creepy school in the middle of nowhere. And I did get that in a way. But it was more than that. It was a story about loss, mental illness, growth, and acceptance. It was heavy but the author did a fantastic job at portraying these girls mental illnesses. She portrayed the feeling of loss so well. But I think my favorite part of this book was that the author gave us an unreliable narrator. At the beginning, and throughout the majority of the book we were meant to believe all of moiras thoughts about her relationship with her mother, her best friends death(not a spoiler), and her thoughts and opinions about the castle school. It was written not through facts about people places and events but Moiras opinion entirely so when her mindset begins to shift and change, so does the rest of the story and it was really really fascinating to read.

Samantha Bass

Jumping into this book, I wasn't sure what I would feel. I knew this story was about a girl who lost her best friend. I knew that this girl was so devastated that her parents couldn't feel like they could give her what she needed to heal. But as I read more, I realized that was only part of this story. 

One thing I loved about this book was that it included scenes from the other girl's POVs. We get a view at teenage alcoholism and drug abuse, self harm, depression, anorexia, trichotillomania (pulling your hair out), selective mutism, grief, and more. In this home of twelve girls, even though Moira is our main point of view, we get to see the other girls stories and understand why there were at The Castle School as well. 

Following along with Moira, her journey with grief gave me a lot of insight on my own journey with grief. Unfortunately, everyone will lose someone in their life. Someone they love will die and while some deaths are easier to accept, others will devastate us. I have felt that devastation before. That feeling that the death wasn't fair and somehow, someway, if something was different, maybe this wouldn't have happened. But it did. Watching Moira learn about her grief and come to accept that she not only wasn't at fault, but that she can enjoy life after losing her best friend, made me really emotional. I was tearing up a lot at the end. 

I loved the message of this book and while it was interesting to see the dichotomy of the two schools, I was more invested in the girl's journey of healing. I was so happy for Moira at the end, after she felt like she had some closure, and while I was sad for another character (no spoilers), I felt like the book ended on a sounding note. This is what it is.

Chelsea Hogg

I DNFed this really early on. I loved the plot concept but reading it, it fell flat for me. The writing wasn’t bad but it was confusing and too many characters were introduced all at once. This just wasn’t for me, as much as I wanted it to be. 

2 stars for the interesting concept. 
Huge thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for providing me with an eARC!

Shannon Jade

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa B. Sheinmel is an unexpected story, something unique and innovative on the YA contemporary scene. When main character Moira is sent away to an all-girls boarding school, she must navigate grief, loss, and friendship in unusual circumstances.

The Castle School seems like an experiment. Home to twelve girls with a range of mental illnesses, the school offers light therapy, opportunities for friendships, and seclusion from the rest of the world. This unique setting is unlike the inpatient facilities of other books; it is something new and unpredictable. Author Alyssa Sheinmel’s worldbuilding plays an important role in establishing the tone for Moira’s story.

As Moira navigates grief and guilt in the wake of losing her best friend, she is forced to think about her other relationships and her responses to all the events in her life. Likewise, the other girls at the Castle School are dealing with personal struggles, ranging from eating disorders to depression, trichotillomania, self-harm, ADHD, alcoholism, drug addiction, and more. The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) represents a diverse range of mental illnesses.

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) is a story about grief, loss, friendship, and more. If you’re searching for a book with lots of mental illness rep, you might like this story.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Want to talk books and read more of my reviews? Find me on INSTAGRAM!

Irin 

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.

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls)

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