Peggy L. (paigu) reviewed on 3/4/2008 + 120 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This book develops at a slow, snail's pace and it almost gets to its destination...but just misses. This is a very strange book, science fiction in a proper, English boarding school setting. It's so odd that unfortunately it just doesn't connect. I enjoyed the mysterious, ominous tone of the narrator for 2/3 of the book, pretty much up until the first of many "shockers" are revealled. Actually, due to the languid writing style, none of the shockers are all that, well, shocking. The scene where one of the main characters, Ruth, reveals her big secret comes across as boring. The confrontation with the boarding school teachers (called Guardians) was an overlong monologue that was more laughable than not. I think the philosophy behind the plot is interesting, but the delivery was terrible. This was one of the most disappointing books I've ever read.

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