Moira Dreyfuss has been struggling since the death of her best friend, Nathan. She stopped going to school, hung out late, and her grades were dropping. The last straw for her parents, though, was her getting a tattoo. At that point, Moira is taken to the Castle School, a boarding school for troubled teens in the middle of nowhere Maine. Here, she learns some of the secrets of the school and its twin, Castle South, a boarding school for boys.

While the blurb of the book hints that this may be a mystery or a thriller, but that is misleading. I definitely would not call this a “dark psychological contemporary” either. Instead it is a contemporary story dealing with mental illness. “Dark” it is not, though the places the girls originally came from may have been.

Sheinmel created a very realistic picture of Moira with her paralyzing grief over the loss of Nathan, her best friend. As someone who used to work in grief counseling, many of the paths of denial and finally acceptance were well-thought out and brought to life in this book. She also did an amazing job in creating a realistic headspace of those suffering from mental illness—ranging from depression to OCD to anorexia—with the other eleven girls at Castle North. As the story progresses, you watch as how this group develop friendships and inner strength to help them cope with their issues.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in return for an honest review.

The book does a great job of looking at mental illness and grief and I thought the main character’s journey was well written. I particularly thought the ending was well handled and tied the story up nicely while still acknowledging the journey ahead for the character’s mental health. The book features twelve girls who are dealing with mental illness, substance abuse, and overall not coping well in their home lives so they are sent to special school to help them. I appreciated that the author had a variety of reasons why the girls were there, and the girls also had varying levels of appreciation (or dislike) for being there.

I did however find that not all the girls’ conditions felt like they were equally well written. There were moments with the secondary characters that felt very stereotypical and flat. Each of the girls gets their own chapter that illustrates how they see themselves and their journey that led to them getting placed at thins school. Some of these chapters were really fascinating and helped flesh out the characters more. They showed some of the less common symptoms, how their conditions developed, and other interesting points that helped define them as more then what got them sent to the school. Some of these chapters though felt like they just reinforced the stereotypes and didn’t add much to the character. I particularly disliked the way the character with ADHD was portrayed throughout the book and found her to be one of the most flat characters. While I understand that there is only so much space that can be given to the supporting characters the difference between the care some of the characters were given and the less fleshed out characters was really jarring to me particularly because of the sensitive nature of the book.

Moving, honest, and sometimes raw contemporary novel about grief, mental illness, and moving forward (not past) trauma. It's difficult to say much about this book without giving away the plot, which would be a true shame as it develops so nicely. I will note (as other reviewers have) that both the cover and the dust jacket summary do this book disservice. They both imply something nefarious is occurring at the school, perhaps even something that might involve elements of the horror genre, but none of these themes or tropes ever arise nor are they ever alluded to within the text itself.

“You scared me. I’d never seen that much blood.”
“People get too freaked out by blood. What’s the big deal? We all have it.”
“Yeah, but most of us try to keep as much of it as possible inside of us.”

Alyssa Sheinmel has a very niche style. I first encountered it in A Danger to Herself and Others, and I saw it once again with The Castle School (for Troubled Girls). She delves deeply into the mind of, you guessed it, troubled girls.
Most of the time, when you read a book about a young woman being labelled as difficult and being institutionalized, you expect her to be falsely accused. You expect that society has labelled her as crazy simply because she didn’t fit the mold. And history would agree; for example, the Salem Witch Trials. This idea of a young woman desperately fighting the system is thrilling and vindictive. Yet, Alyssa Sheinmel never takes this easy route. She shows us real girls with real mental illnesses, and the struggles that they go through. Her stories show us that accepting your problems is the first step to solving them. She builds trust in the system, rather than feeding the idea of crazy scientists and evil doctors. There is not big reveal, or dramatic plot twist. Her stories are real and they aren’t sensationalized, which is why they can feel a bit anticlimactic at first. But mental illness isn’t something that can be conquered in a day, or even a year. It’s a long, slow, often bitter process.
I did, however, find this more satisfying than A Danger to Herself and Others, possibly because Moyra wasn't locked up in a cell. Moyra isn't kept in solitary confinement; she's at a posh boarding school in a castle where she's served delicious food and has ample leisure time. The ensemble cast of The Castle School also added to its charm, and the way that Alyssa Sheinmel explained each of their illnesses was very insightful. Their “disorders” were much harder to brush off as “bad decisions” once we got a look into their mindset.
Overall, The Castle School serves us a protagonist who barges in with conspiracy theories and indignation, only to emerge as a wiser and kinder soul on the path to recovery. Maybe it’s presumptuous, but I think the readers of the book might have a similar journey.

I loved this book. The characters and their emotions felt so real and raw. I don't cry at many books, but the grieving process that this book describes was very similar to how I've felt losing my dad and I found myself overcome with emotion many times on our main character's journey. This book is a stand out book for me this year and probably for years to come. I would recommend this.

This book is everything I wanted right now and took my mind away to the world of this book . The story is really strong and kept me page turning and I just didn’t want to put it down . Just a really solid read great work Alyssa Sheinmel !

Disclaimer: I got this in an exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is perfect for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and The Gallagher Academy. I thought it was very compelling and the story instantly draws you in!

A little meh. Plot line were good but the story just wasn’t there. Overall a good read, but a little disappointing. Main character was annoying, I didn’t like the style this book was written in, I find it hard to stay focused. Also I felt like the spooky vibe was missing but that could just be me

I was really excited for the premise of this book, although disappointed in the execution. I found the initial chapters really lackluster and quite frankly, I found the main character annoying, However, I really liked how mental health and grief were discussed in this book. In addition, I think I would've liked it more if there was more of a mystery element like the plot suggests, or if it was simply marked as a "YA Contemporary"

I have a love/hate relationship with this one.
I originally got it because it seemed like a spooky book. I thought maybe the castle was haunted, or something sinister was going on. That’s not the case at all.

The book is a really nice display of touching grief, and what it does to others and how people deal with that. I liked the random chapters through the book that told how the girls were at the school in the first place, and what was “wrong” with them.

The main character got kind of annoying real fast. Maybe it was the grief, or maybe she was just annoying, but she had this constant need to make it seem like everyone was out for her. She wanted no friends, or really to do anything. She didn’t even have many personality traits outside of being obsessed with her best friend from home, and knowing useless trivia

The writing was good, and i enjoyed the story (trying to figure out grief) but i feel like it was something completely different then i expected

I wasn't 100% on board with some of the first person 'troubled girl' chapters, but I did find most of them to be at least 70% right (not that I'm an expert on these things, but it's my review and I say what I want). Overall, the main character was a little bit oblivious,a fact which was mitigated by a couple of her cohorts being downright interesting.

For some odd reason I thought this book was going to have a lot of action. I’m not sure why I thought that but I was completely wrong. This book isn’t the light reading I thought it was going to be. This book has a lot of depth and emotion and it’s one that tackles hard mental issues, but it’s done in away that doesn’t trivialize it. I laughed and my heart broke for the characters. Alyssa Sheinmel does an amazing job of making you feel like all the characters are the main ones. I couldn’t even tell you my favorite character because I was so invested in all of them. It’s just an amazing story overall.

Definitely a tearjerker. Reminds me of the movie My Girl Two. Addresses a lot of teen issues in a more positive light than normal.

A YA novel about grief and other issues that can block life from moving forward. The topics are handled in an honest and realistic way, and though dark, the book is overall optimistic. I was pleasantly surprised by how much i connected with the characters and the story.

(Spoiler free review)

Realistic yet an enthralling read.

The title does really give away a little bit of fairy tale ambience whereby the school is structured like a castle hence the glorious description of turrets and being stranded in the middle of the woods say it all. To put it more peculiar, this school is specifically built for troubled girls whose parents are finally at the end of their wits in curing their children. Well fret not, the mission of the Castle School is to ensure that every troubled girl has a second chance to find the better versions of themselves and here’s the odd, only 12 girls are admitted into the school.

We follow Moira, one of the troubled girls, who finds herself dreading at the thought of being sent and staying in a sullen atmosphere with strict rules that she must abide by. No Wi-Fi, no proper library, and they freaking have lights-out time. Sounds like a prison to her, not a castle. She wouldn’t be in this predicament if her best friend, Nathan, hadn’t succumbed to cancer. We get to see her life slowly falling apart after that.
Each problem faced by the girls is really intense and well-delivered by the author. The author managed to take us on a multifaceted view and psychological approach towards the backstory of how the girls first acquiring their problems, then struggling, fighting and surviving through them. Some problems are unable to stay still (ADHD), eating disorder (anorexia), refuse to talk (selective mutism), can’t resist the urge to pull out their hair (Trichotillomania), depression, flight risks, an OCD person, a kleptomaniac and others.

Paradoxically, with these brooding problems going on, these girls who think they are misfits to society slowly finding themselves intertwining a special friendship amongst them. Expect humour and warm fuzzy feeling coming your way. The excitement doesn’t end here though. Unbeknownst to Moira, she’s discovered another hidden castle but all boys. What has befuddled her is that why the boys are treated in a better and lively environment compared to the one she and the other girls living in? The mystery about having the two castles will be unveiled and the unexpected presence comes tumbling into Moira’s life making her all feverish will soon be declared. Such a poignant yet rivetingly beautiful story that makes you delve into friendship, family, and lastly the real struggles that'll make your knees wobble at the thought of them.

Moira is sent to The Castle School for Girls after a tumultuous period with her parents, where everything in her life is going wrong after her best friend Nathan dies.

The Castle School accepts only 12 girls and throughout the novel, we follow not only Moira’s journey, but each of the other residents as well.

I found this novel to be a well written path on recovery (in many different forms - loss, anorexia, self-harm, abandonment) and mental illness. The author does a fantastic job of producing a YA novel that isn’t in your face about the array of issues surrounding teens, and how you can forage friendships in the darkest of your own days.

THIS BOOK CONTAINS MAJOR TRIGGERS

I will list these triggers at the end of the review, as I try to do, but be aware that I will be discussing mental illnesses, eating disorders, addictions, and other potentially triggering topics. I will avoid details where possible, but the book is set in a school for “troubled girls”, so it may not be possible to avoid completely.

I have read one other book by this author (that I am aware of) - A Danger To Herself and Others - and boy, was that a ride. While attempting not to give away spoilers, I picked up on something relatively early on in that book, which was later confirmed, but it in NO WAY detracted from the overall beautiful, heart-wrenching majesty of the story. So once I knew that The Castle School was by the same author (which, admittedly, was AFTER I started reading it), I knew I was in for a time.

As I start writing this, I’m only about halfway through. I was past the point of no return on my way to work this morning when I realised I had forgotten my Kindle… but it’s ok. I have the Kindle app on my phone (and the NetGalley one as well come to think of it), so I will be able to read on my lunch break. Yay!

The first note I wrote while reading (this is still something that is new to me; taking notes as I read. Maybe if I had done that when I was studying…. NO! No what ifs). It wasn’t something I thought I would like - as a kid (and adult) I tend(ed) to inhale books, not putting them down for dinner let alone to write notes! (The skills I have developed of holding the book and being able to turn pages all with my non-dominant hand serve me well both eating and note-taking!) That said, I have started to enjoy it. It’s nice to have a scribble of thoughts of things I can look back on and solidify; a list I can use as a springboard when it comes to talking about the book to others. No-one else needs to see my scribble, 90% of the time it makes a little sense to me, but not always!

Okay, we’ll try that again!

The first note I wrote while reading this book was “this book has so much trivia, I love it!” Our main character has a habit of filling silences with trivia. ***** insert trivia*****

The premise is (so far), simple. Our main character, Moria, has been sent away to the Castle School. Following the death of her best friend, her parents are at their wits end, and decide she needs more help than they can give.

Moira is escorted to The Castle School by two bulky men - bodyguards, tasked with making sure she doesn’t run away - and lands in a place which is far different than she imagined. The Castle - a literal castle - somewhere (maybe) in Maine, is cold, damp, and dark. Her driver - son of the headmaster/doctor/owner of the school - tells her that it is after lights out, and that she needs to go to bed. Moira soon discovers that the school has an odd timetable - they don’t have a TIMEtable. The girls (there are 12) are woken, fed, ‘taught’, therapied, exercised and returned to bed without knowing what the time is, what the day is, or even where they are.

The other 12 girls have a mix of conditions. We get to know each girl briefly, and we get a little more information about them in between chapters, with a section of each girl and how/why she ended up at the school.

I won’t say much more, it’s too hard to rave without giving away important parts. Just know it is beautiful, and potentially triggering at the same time. I will note here that if you don’t like books which are ‘slice of life’ or you only read books which are filled with adventure, this is not that. I won’t say you won’t enjoy it, or should avoid it, because it IS SO GOOD.

Content Warnings: discussions of addiction, drugs, self hard (cutting mostly), OCD, assault, trichotillomania, death, dying, mental health, therapy, family issues, selective mutism, eating disorders, scars, inpatient. There are probably more, but just be aware going in that the author doesn’t hold back.

Overall Rating: FIVE STARS

The cover and blurb of this book tricked me. I went into this thinking it was a mystery (the blurb SAYS it's a mystery...) and... there was no mystery! I would have DNF'ed it from 25% if I would have known that there wasn't an actual mystery. So disappointed. I think I would have liked it better if I would have gone into it knowing that it wasn't a mystery and just a contemporary YA novel.

When Moira Dreyfuss's parents send her away to The Castle School (for troubled girls) she knows there is no way to change their minds. Her mother has given up on her and her father agrees with whatever her mother says. The Castle school houses 11 other girls who all have different issues. Life in the castle gets interesting when the lock on Moria's window breaks and she and her roommate Eleanore venture out into the woods. The two girls are shocked to find an exact replica of their castle but this one is housed with 12 teenage boys. But as Moria works through her pain she realizes the school is exactly what she needs to deal with the death of her best friend.

I want to congratulate the author for her realistic, objective approach to multiple mental illnesses young people carry on their shoulders bravely and her amazing characters whose names and tragic stories are already imprinted on my heart!

Those girls’ though fights, struggles to adjust in the real life, their pure pains, challenges they face shook me to my core.

Starting from grief, chronic depression, self-harm, eating disorders, loss of speech, trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder), alcoholism, drug addiction to PMS, we’re introduced so many different types of mental illness categories and those young hearts who are trying to survive as they have no idea how to deal with their pain.

Moira Dreyfuss just lost her best and only friend who got beaten by cancer. Her grief hold her back to live her life. She left her classes, giving up her college applications, fighting incessantly with her parents, having problems with her mother.

She thinks she can never please her so she’s punished by being sent to a boarding school for the troubled girls located in Maine but it is actually and literally a gothic castle in the middle of nowhere. And ironically Dr. Prince the highness of castle in charge of the place.

She reluctantly flies to Maine, welcomed by Randy ( later she finds out he’s Dr. Prince’s son, homeschooled, lived in the very same castle with them), driven to the place, accompanied to her dark, cold, isolated room without any plugs to charge her phone.

The place already gives her chills with its disturbing and isolated vibes, makes her thing she’s going to be prisoner and her parents punish her for not being the daughter they dreamed of.

Then she meets 11 other girls who suffer from different inner demons by showing different
ways to handle them.

ELEANOR- her roommate, finding her relief by cutting herself
MEI-pulling her hair because she doesn’t want to be defined by her beauty. She’s more than that.
VIRGINIA- suffering from ADHD. She has hard times to concentrate and be the daughter her parents want.
GREY- just like her name she sees everything grey, suffering from chronic depression
ALICE- cannot be happy about her appearance, fighting with anorexia.
RYAN- wants to keep her special treasure by suffering from kleptomania.
RAINA- stopped talking after witnessing something so tragic and she never feels safe to come clean.
REVA- she cannot stay at the same place for a long time. She’s at flight risk. She cannot restrain her uncontrollable instinct of running away.
BETH- her sports injuries resulted with drug addiction.
HALSEY- her desire to get approval of her inner circle pushed her to be an alcoholic.
CASSANDRA-having problems with authorities, she cannot be told what she’s going to do.

Those girls are also the MCs of the book. We read all of them’s back stories. We easily empathize with them, understanding their compelling fight, aching for their heartbreaks, suffer, sadness, despair.

Moira thinks the castle is a prison and Dr. Prince keeps his own secrets. He’s not reliable. He cannot cure her. She doesn’t need to be healed. She deals with guilt feelings about Nathan’s -her only best friend’s death.

Then one night she realizes the lock of her room window is broken and as she climbs down and walk around the castle, she discovers another castle at the south side belongs to the boys. But that castle is not dark, bleak, cold like the place they stayed. The boys seem like happy, dancing, cheering. They don’t look like they’re troubled ones as like the girls she connects at the north side.

What was the mystery behind the two castles?
And why Dr. Prince’s son Randy didn’t stay with the boys at the castle?

This is emotional, poignant, heartbreaking but also thought provoking, well written book with memorable characters and presents great psychological approach to those brave fighter/ survivor girls!

I enjoyed the conclusion. It’s about mental state, families, grief, true love, resentments, forgiveness, second chances.

It’s truly one of the best works of the author.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this incredible arc with me in exchange my honest opinions.