Allegations of Rape at an Elite Girls School

Lauren Triplett and her family are on their way to Atwater School, an elite girls school, where Lauren will be a student. As they approach the school there are small signs along the road saying “A Rapist Works Here.” Lauren applied because her friend Grace was going there and the brochures from the school were so inviting. Now she has to deal with the reality.

The rape happened years ago. A former student finally came forward with the story. Now the school is desperately trying to deal with the aftermath. Although the allegations are not new, the fallout is affecting all the girls presently at the school.

The story is not a mystery, but rather a character study of girls growing up, dealing with their own sexuality, and the problems of friendship in an all female environment. This book is almost a series of short stories since each chapter is devoted to one of nine girls. Although it was interesting to get so many perspectives, I felt the story lacked cohesion.

The setting was well done. Descriptions of the buildings and grounds were inviting. The timeline stayed close to the typical events of a school year. Although the writing was good, I found it hard to get immersed in the book because of the shifting points of view. Because of the subject matter and age of the subjects, teenage girls may find it more interesting.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

The Atwater School, located in a rural area of Connecticut, is an all girls school. Just before the opening of the new school year, someone planted numerous signs in the area stating that a rapist works here.

The story goes from one student to another as they take on a new year of learning, life in a boarding school, trying to make friends, and fit in.

We start with Lauren and then on to another student. Each girl has secret worries and feels the pressure of taking the proper types of classes in hopes of getting into a good college. The reader sees life through the eyes of teenagers who tend to worry about so many things.

We see their fall festival where boys from other schools are bused in to meet with the girls. Why keep boys and girls separate for so long and then give them an opportunity to “hook up?” I don’t think this is a good idea as hormones seem to explode and things happen that shouldn’t.

The daily life of the girls may be interesting to teens but I don’t feel that this is an adult read. Quite frankly, it’s boring. Having written that, I do feel that the author writes well and wish her luck with future books. Unfortunately, I did not care for this on.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Atwater is a prestigious all girls prep school in Connecticut which attracts the best and the brightest. They have a stellar image until an alum announces that 20ish years ago, she was raped by a faculty member when she was a senior at the school. She says the school covered it up and asked her to leave. She also says the teacher wasn't punished and still works at the school. Over the course of a school year, we see the impact of this scandal on 7 different girls at the school. They each have issues of their own, most related to power, sex, or being their true self.

Each section of the book is told from the 3rd person point of view of a different student. It was almost like 7 interconnected short stories. The overarching narrative was more about the school and how the faculty and students address the scandal than it was about any of the individual girls. I connected with some of the students more than others and wish I could have followed their stories for longer. It was a challenge to remember which girl was which between the various sections. There were too many characters, in my opinion. The book would have had more impact for me, if the number of POV's was reduced

What to listen to while reading...
Campus by Vampire Weekend
Youth by Daughter
Read All About It, Pt III by Emeli Sande
Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood
Comfort Crowd by Conan Gray
Hallelujah by k.d. lang
Out of My League by Fitz & the Tantrums
Teenage Talk by St. Vincent
Stubborn Love by The Lumineers
Call your Girlfriend by Robyn

This was a solid read. I wasn’t blown away with it or disappointed, it was just a good read.
I really enjoyed how the story was told from multiple POVs, though I did at times find it difficult to remember how the characters that crossed over from these viewpoints connected or who was who. Ultimately I don’t think it affected my overall enjoyment or rating though. There were a couple characters I wish we could have spent more time with and could have a stand-alone story to themselves.
Perhaps my biggest dislike about the book is I was waiting for some sort of reveal or more connection to the “mystery” of the story but ultimately felt it lacked in that respect.

The New England prep school, Atwater, is in the midst of dealing with a decades-old crisis concerning the mishandling of a sexual assault of a former student by a teacher. I went into this book thinking it was going to be just another "prep school story" but it was so much more. This story explores nearly every element of adolescence from the perspectives of the prep school girls themselves. The voices in the story are intelligent and poignant. Perfect for fans of Emma Straub, J. Courtney Sullivan, and Sally Rooney. 

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Emily Layden for an advanced copy of this book. Publication date is February 16th, 2021.

All Girls is a novel that describes the inner workings of a New England boarding school, the struggles and lives of the young girls, and a sexual abuse scandal.

I wanted to like this book. It started off so strong. I loved the idea, a young girl going off by herself to a boarding school - something that I used to dream about doing growing up. It was a certain bit of nostalgia , getting to dive into the minds of these young girls and how they dealt with their own struggles. But I could not handle the different POV's. I started to like Lauren, and then I started to like Macy, and then I got lost after those two changes. I thought I was going to be reading about a mystery happening in the school, but it was just lightly touched on throughout the entire book, which was a disappointment. I do think the issues discussed were so important, but it's the only reason I finished the book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced readers copy in exchange for the honest review.

I had high hopes for this novel about the Atwater School, a prestigious boarding school for privileged girls. The author opens with wonderfully descriptive writing: a freshman and her parents are on the scenic drive to Atwater when they begin seeing one-word signs along the way that say "A RAPIST WORKS HERE". I felt as though I was in the car myself! And a bit of scandal ahead too. YAY!!

What follows however quickly became a bog, or what I call "mish-mash"; a variety of promising ingredients (characters and story lines) that when they are all put together end up resulting in a dish (novel) that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

The scandal, an event that occurred in 1995 and is being brought to litigation now, obviously takes its toll on the administration, students, and parents. The event is viewed from the current culture as well as that in place in 1995. This storyline trails throughout the book.

We also come to know (way too) many of the students (70+) as they tell their thoughts and experiences in a 3rd person POV. Each chapter is a different character. Truly, it became very difficult to keep track of them all!

There are several highlights among the stories where the author demonstrates the ability to make this reader feel what her characters are feeling, and remember the angst of those years where we tried so hard to find "our" place in the crowd, even as we seek to define ourselves.

All in all, I like the author's writing, but didn't care for this particular read. I look forward to her next novel.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for permitting me to read an advance copy of the novel which is scheduled to be published 2/16/21. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

First off I want to say that this is NOT a thriller! That being said, I loved this book. It had so many things in it that I love in books including multiple POV'S, friendships, campus settings, scandals, and rich people behaving badly. All Girls focuses on one full school year at Atwater, an all girls secondary boarding school in New England. We meet a large cast of characters aka the students of Atwater and each chapter is the point of view of a different student. The "plot" of the story is wrapped around a scandal that occurred at the school a few decades before; a scandal that was swept under the rug by administration but has recently resurfaced by an anonymous person.

This book worked for me because I was warned beforehand that it was not a fast-paced thriller. It is quieter and very character driven which are two things I like in books but I can see how people who go into this thinking it is plot-driven or fast-paced would be thrown off.

A strong debut novel that covers many important modern day topics while executing a multi-narrative, coming-of-age story for teens and adults alike. Set during the beginning years of the #MeToo movement, we follow a handful of girls attending Atwater, an elite all-girls boarding school that’s in the grips of a sexual assault scandal and lawsuit. Each of the girls have their own trials and tribulations to deal with while the horrors of unhealthy sexual relationships are revealed through their youthful eyes. Layden addresses the issues with private western institutions like Atwater when dealt with issues such as sexual assault, and how quickly these institutions work frustratingly hard to silence these girls instead of appraising and protecting them. Highly, highly recommend.

This book was set in an all girls boarding school in Connecticut. It followed a group of girls during a school year and covered issues such as same sex relationships, eating disorders, hazing, consent and student activism. I enjoyed the book and found the writing good and characters relatable. I wish that the author had focused on fewer girls with more in-depth stories as it would have been nice to see more details of how their situations played out. The large cast of characters and frequent shift of perspective made it more difficult to stay focused and engaged with overall story.

I really can't fault anything about this book, except that it brought back all the anxiety of adolescence in full force. That's not the experience I'm looking for when I read. DNF.

“All Girls” is a captivating story that dwells into the students’ lives and drama in an elite prep school, and I liked it.

I thought the author did a lovely job for a debut novel. At times, I felt like I was reading a book of short stories because you can read each chapter as a stand-alone. Moreover, I enjoyed the level of details the author put into the storyline and the characters. Each character stands out from one another and experiences something different about their prep school life. Some of them come from different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities, and I enjoyed reading their storylines. One of my favorite passages was when the characters talk about the sand mandala and its significance. There are some storylines that I felt were powerful. My favorite ones were the “Fall Fest” revolving around Chloe and “Field Trip” revolving around Sloane. Also, the author interestingly formats each chapter that ends with the end correspondence on a parallel storyline.

However, I initially picked up this book because it markets itself in the mystery genre. But, there is not much of a mystery element. The story begins in a pleasant suspenseful manner, but the storyline revolving around the rapist always takes a backseat and is resolved halfway. While I enjoyed all the girls’ storylines, the story felt it lacked a higher plot that connects all of them. I had hoped that storylines revolving around the character (from each chapter) would get together and culminate in a higher storyline towards the end.

Overall, I think “All Girls” would have been amazing if it had an overarching storyline with a better direction. Nevertheless, it is still entertaining at times and worth reading.

I loved this book! It was heartwarming and strong. It was exactly what I needed with everything going on in the world! A happy little escape!

I don't know what it is about all girl's boarding school books, but I am here for them. Told from multiple POVs, from multiple girls across all the grades, this book explores the issue of sexuality and sexual consent in the setting of a full year boarding school met with scandal throughout. This scandal permeates all the school's traditions and each girl takes something different from it. There's also an element of mystery and whodunit throughout which keeps the pace moving and interesting. I very much enjoyed this one!

I was so excited about this one as it is just the kind of book I usually love. But I wasn't aware of the dozens and dozens of points of view that make up the narrative. For me as a reader, that narrative structure just doesn;t work. It's too many characters to keep track of and I can't really relate to any of them on more than a superficial level. Sadly, this one just wasn't a good fit for me.

All Girls is told from the perspective of nine different students who all attend an all girls boarding school for high school. Upon arriving at the school, and as the book begins, the girls and their families all see signs along the road that read "a rapist teaches here." This is shocking and frightening and sparks gossip, rumors, social media frenzy, and a year long investigation into the allegations. Each of 9 girls takes center stage in chapters that highlight the school year from fall to the commencement ceremony. The question on everyone's mind is how can this campus exist to empower girls but falter when push comes to shove?

The y0ung women of the Atwater School find themselves facing the issue of what their school has covered up over the years when an alumna comes forward with claims of sexual abuse by a teacher years before. Told from the third person perspective by multiple students and pegged to events in the school year, this is about how they react and how one student takes the initiative to force the administration to fess up. This are real young women. complete with all their fears and issues. The format allows you to see each one from various perspectives as they echo throughout. Some of their stories will surprise you as they play out. If you've spent time in a single sex school, you'll recognize the rituals - the ringing, the skits, the mixer and so on. Layden has done an excellent job with the genre and made her points without belaboring them. It's a skillful look at how young women are so often dismissed. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Good storytelling and a plot that kept me guessing made this a good read. Excellent debut.

“Now she will want to say to her mother: This is what it is to love a place. She’ll want to tell her: You have to want it to be better.”

ALL GIRLS follows the lives of the students at a boarding school in rural Connecticut over the course of an academic year. each chapter focuses on one of the girls in the student body as they discover themselves and their place at both the school and in the world, all while the school is in the midst of a scandal over sexual misconduct allegations. I always wanted to attend boarding school, so I absolutely loved the setting of this book. I also enjoyed the diversity in the girls and their stories. I found the structure of the book to be creative, allowing for a richer and clearer picture of the school atmosphere to emerge through the stories and perspectives of so many different girls. a well-done coming-of-age debut! I can’t wait to read more from Emily Lauren. 4/5⭐️—I liked it!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a gifted copy of All Girls by Emily Layden. All opinions are my own.

All Girls starts with signs on the side of the road on the day the freshman arrive at Atwater. The signs make claims of rape and accuse the school of not being supportive of the victim. It follows nine girls as they progress through the school year. Each girl's story is a separate chapter and reads like a short story. This book feel like a book of short stories dealing with life in an all girls boarding school. The stories cover many subjects and emotions that teenage girls deal with on a daily basis. It covers everything from mean girls, hazing, angst, lust, teenage drama, peer pressure and, and so much more.

This book was not right for me. It felt more like YA than Women's Fiction. I do believe there is a YA audience who would greatly enjoy this book. The writing is very detailed and descriptive at times which makes it easy to visualize the event in the story.

Congratulations to Emily Layden on her debut novel.

Literary Fiction
Women's Fiction
Release Date: February 16, 2021

2.5 stars, rounded up
I generally like boarding school stories, and the timeliness of the subject matter of sexual assault appealed to me. This book, however, suffers from introducing way too many characters, too many points of view. So many so that I got dizzy and confused and had a difficult time following what was even going on. I need to be able to connect with a character (or at the most three or four, but this was excessive, well over 50, but with nine main characters) and while I see what the author was trying to do with this book by showing us how complex and pervasive different issues are with teens, it just didn't work for me.
The themes explored here are important and meaningful, and the writing is pretty good, so I did round up rather than down, but the execution of the plot was so convoluted that I couldn't rate it any higher. I would read something else by this author in the future.