Based on the description, I was expecting more supernatural elements but this book is not that. It was an excellent story, nonetheless. A very emotional and realistic look into a teenage girl experiencing grief. It's a fast paced story that will keep most readers engaged. I enjoyed it.


Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the contemporary look at boarding school. This book deeply explored the mysterious mind of a teenager who is dealing with more than their fair share, and did it well. It moved fast so I finished it fairly quickly. I really enjoyed it!

After reading the blurb I was immediately drawn in by the idea of the two castle schools. I was expecting the novel to develop supernatural and mysterious elements but the book is firmly contemporary. This did not detract from the book, as I was captivated by its thoughtful exploration of the mystery that is grief. I would recommend this book to older teens especially those confronting mental illness and loss.

This was a really fast-paced book. I couldn't stop reading, I was engrossed in the story. Be prepared for an intense and emotional read.
Moira Dreyfuss recently lost her best friend and life hasn’t been the same since. She’s cutting classes, fighting with her parents, and getting tattoos (well, one tattoo). This propels her parents to send her to a boarding school: The Castle School. Once she’s there, Moira meets the other students and discovers that there is a second Castle School. Soon, she’s convinced that the people running the schools are hiding something nefarious.
I enjoyed the representation of mental illness and how it was shown through the various characters. It was a realistic portrayal of how young adults deal with and live with mental illness. The author undoubtedly handled it well.
This book really resonated with me - I related to the grief and guilt Moira felt. Losing someone close to you is an extremely difficult situation, and the author truly captured how it feels and the thoughts that come with it.
I can’t say much more without getting into spoilers, but just know that there is so much more to this book than what is presented in the synopsis.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think one of the main reasons I ended up being a bit disappointed by this book is because it kept trying to be something it wasn't. Both the blurb and chunks of the book itself hinted toward a gothic suspense sort of story, Jane Eyre discovering Bertha in the attic, and that was misleading. There seemed to be an attempt to include some sort of take on The Twelve Dancing Princesses which never came to much. Even the more pedestrian things it was trying to discuss - grief and mental health issues and bonding with others - felt like they were distracted from or received surface level treatment; the brief profiles of the other girls didn't make me feel any more connected to those characters, and I didn't even necessarily feel that the story tracked Moira's growing bond with them particularly well or in enough depth to feel realistic.

The writing was good, though the pacing was quite slow. Readers who enjoyed Sheinmel's other books might enjoy, along with those looking for books similar to Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces.

I'm adding a star because the depiction of why the girls were at Castle School feels very real and might resonate with readers. However, the school itself? and the methods used to "heal"? Sorry. BIG no. While some might have been helped by Dr. Prince, to pretend that most could be there for a mere semester is just wrong. Surely several of the girls should have been there for longer? At least two years for some. But no, not here.

eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

The first half of this book was very intriguing. As the main character progressed, the book did more telling the reader and less showing what was going on. I know some teens will benefit from this direct approach provided they are invested in Moira’s path before they get to the info dumps.

I have read two other books by this author and although one was just an okay read, I figured why not read a third book.

This book was different than I expected as on netgalley it says “dark psychological contemporary”. To me, there was nothing dark or psychological about it. I think that is where part of my disconnect was with this story.

When it came to the characters, Moira is the MC and has the biggest point-of-view. The plot is mostly about her journey through grief from the loss of her best friend. It was interesting to read about her from start to finish. She goes through a lot of development along the way even if she questions the headmaster’s motives. I wouldn’t say I fully connected to her but it didn’t lessen my likeness for her.

There are other chapters about each girl who attends this school and covers how each one got there. I thought this was a nice touch since when they are first introduced we are told about what brought them there. Each one is dealing with a different issue. I like this added bonus but I also wish we got more from them throughout the plot. A few of the girls are more major than others but it just wasn’t enough for me.

One thing I like about this author is that she talks about mental health. In this day and age our mental health is more important than ever. I like seeing it discussed in YA books and I hope there will be a lot more books about it.

Overall, it was a good book. I didn’t fully connect to the story but I appreciate what the author wrote about and can see many enjoying this book.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and I would like to thank Ms. Alyssa Sheinmel, Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the chance to read this in exchange for a fair review.

I found Castle School to be a very interesting read. I honestly felt for many of the characters Sheinmel incorporated in this novel and found myself learning a few things as a therapist in training. Castle School was very different from what I expected and that was an absolute good thing. Instead of the gossip and dark secrets that one would get from most boarding school novels, Castle School went a more therapeutic route, exploring the inner workings of those struggling with mental health issues. For those looking for a more sinister vibe, you won’t find that here, but IMO that doesn’t take away from the novel once you get into it. Castle School involves a group of young teenagers sent to a therapy school to get help with their individual issues. One of the girls, Moira, accepts going, but retains her barriers as she believes she is sent due to "skipping class", not being the daughter her mother wants and handling the tragic situation of her best friend in her own way.

Sheinmel breaks down several mental health issues to where one doesn’t need a Masters in psychology to comprehend. I understood Moira’s reluctance to let anyone close to her, the way that she got into her head and wanted to think the worst of most adults. I understood Halsey’s drinking, Raina’s lack of desire to speak, Eleanor’s desire to self-harm. I understood Dr. Bert Prince and his therapeutic method. I understood that I wanted to cry at times when truths were revealed, whether it was Moira realizing the depths of her mother's emotions, her acceptance of what happened to her best friend and how she saw the world. I can appreciate Sheinmel's approach to therapy, mental health, internalizing and being angry as a teen. In taking the more realistic and honest approach of issues not always being crystal clear, especially in regards to grief, Castle School (for Troubled Girls) is definitely a recommendation for me.

The Castle School: For Troubled Girls is an emotional book about self-recovery following the story of Moira Dreyfuss who is unable to go on her days without thinking about the loss of her best friend, Nathan.

Being in Moira’s mind is another kind of experience entirely. I got a glimpse of her grief, her constant remembrance of Nathan injected frequently in her monologues. It was really sad being in her head, the way she’s consumed with grief and going on her days as if adjusting to not being a part of a half. Sheinmel has captured Moira’s grief between pages completely and perfectly raw. I’m glad with how real Moira’s character is portrayed.

Within the castle, Moira meets other girls who are in need of help just like herself. They instantly formed a bond from the beginning. They were all comfortable with each other due to the things they have in common. Individually, they have their own battles to conquer which are given a spotlight at some point in the book for a better understanding of the characters. There wasn’t euphemism with their portrayals which is rare to find in contemporary books tackling mental issues. I appreciate the way it was written, made me feel emotionally attached to the characters.

Alyssa Sheinmel really put effort and research when writing this book with her objective approach to such heavy topics. It was an eye-opener and has touched me quite deeply. Looking forward to reading more of her works.

I would like to preface this review with: I feel misled. This book is marketed as though it is a mystery. It’s listed on Goodreads with “Mystery” as a subgenre. Marketing a book is incredibly important, and for people like me who know what kind of genres they enjoy, this is frustrating. It also causes people who don’t want contemporary to read this book and end up with not great reviews because, well, it’s not what they expected.

The way each of the girl's mental illnesses is written feels well researched and well-considered. I felt that was well done and worth noting. Moira actually has character growth, albeit a bit suddenly. It felt as though she worked through her grief rather quickly to conveniently wrap up the book, which was a bit frustrating. As often happens with books like these, the romance in it was completely unnecesarry. Moira was just learning how to have friends, I don’t think navigating a romantic relationship was necessary.

All in all, this was a 3.5 out of 5 stars for me.

I’m not quite sure how to put my feelings about this one into words. Going into it, I definitely thought this was going to be a more sinister-driven book, with a hell of a lot more mystery, but it was simply an exploration of grief. With that being said, I’m not sure if I would say this was good or bad for that matter… it was just eh.

What I liked: the atmosphere of the book, the back stories of the other girls, and Sheinmel’s decent depiction of mental illnesses (this is no surprise since her other book A Danger to Herself and Others also depicted mental illness.)

What I didn’t like: The main character, Moira. The problem was not that she suffered from depression or even that she was grieving for her best friend. It was that she was annoying af, insanely selfish, hypocritical and straight up stupid at times. I get that grief affects us in unimaginable ways, but I went from sympathizing to wanting her to stf up very quickly. I also felt like I was always waiting for something to happen that never did.

I am a sucker for an academic approach and knew I would love this, however what I loved the most was the focus on mental health!

Each girl had me emphasising with their individual struggles.

It was sweet & heartbreaking, a real honest look of grief and healing.

I always appreciate this author's books and this was no exception. I found The Castle School to be a fast-paced and emotional read. The author did a great job of portraying various different types of mental health issues facing teenage girls, while also writing a story that delved deep into the importance of relationships, and the healing potential of both family and friendship. Overall a great read and I would highly recommend this book.

DNF at 25%. Not poorly written, just not for me. Too many characters and things happening, and the main character is extremely repetitive. Started skimming quite early on. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

Moira's parents don't know what to do with her. She hasn't been the same since her best friend Nathan died, she's been skipping school, disappearing in the middle of the night, and now she had a tattoo. At least, that is what she thinks when they send her away to a remote boarding school, the Castle School.

Moira knows she doesn't need to be here. She doesn't need therapy or help. How else is she meant to be feeling when Nathan is gone? And the Castle school certainly seems like a punishment - no phones, curfews, sharing a room, therapy sessions. The only good thing about this school is Randy, the son of headmaster Dr Prince.

But late at night, Moira hears faint music coming from the woods. Where can it be coming from given their isolation? So, Moria and her roommate decide to explore, made possible by a broken lock on their window.
What they find when following the music is another Castle school, This one is all boys and it is run by a different Dr Prince, the wife of their own Dr Prince. And they have all the freedoms that the girls have had taken away.

And so begins a nightly ritual of the girls sneaking over to the boys' school.

But as Moira gets to know the other girls, as she starts to engage with Dr Prince in their therapy sessions, as she gets to know Randy more, she begins to question everything. Did her parents really send her away because they didn't know what else to do with her? Is she really to blame for how Nathan died?

This book surprised me. From the title I expected another boarding school psychological thriller. But it is so much more. This is a masterful and realistic exploration into mental health, with sensitive portrayals of each of the issues that the individual girls are living with.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the ARC.

Wow this was so amazing! It included a combination of some of my favorite elements in a novel! I really loved the setting, characters, and overall message in this.

“So, this is what is,” I begin. “I’m going to miss Nathan every day for the rest of my life. And some days it’ll hurt so much I can’t stand it, and some days it’ll just be a dull ache, but it will probably always be there.”

Moira is dealing with the loss of her best friend from cancer, sent away to a school out in the middle of nowhere for sneaking out to visit his grave and getting a tattoo. The other girls all have problems of their own - one has an eating disorder while another one has ran away from home so many times, her parents sent her somewhere else.

I didn't know how i was going to feel about this book. It dragged for me for the first couple 100 pages or so and the main character didn't really strike me as the protagonist at all. But after I got through the beginning, it started to pick up for me. The other castle school intrigued me, and i liked the way that it was a complete contrast from Moira's.

The snow scene, where the staff take them all outside to play in the snow, was really cute and i liked the fun happy banter in a novel that's dealing not only with grief of a friend, but also grief of being ripped away from the only place you've known and settling into a strange new place and how to process and deal with that.

Overall, it was a really cute novel. The plot was entertaining, the characters were a delight, and the way the author had the main character process her grief was very new and raw to me that i had to rethink even how i think about grief.

"Maybe happily ever after means accepting what is, remembering what was, and looking forward to whatever is coming next."

This book was so much more than I expected it to be based on the blurb. I expected a classic mystery, which I love, but this had a lot more depth. Moira's grief and healing felt so real and honest. I also thought the portrayal of mental illness and other issues was done so well, and I loved the addition of other POV's and stories to add to this book. I know this will be a book I recommend to everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this!

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) is a phenomenal book. I could not put it down so I ended up reading it in one sitting. It is not at all what I was expecting. The story is about a girl who gets sent to a "school" to help her out. At first, it seems like any other rehab type place, except for the big cold castle, the odd rules, and the secrets. But then she discovers something, another school nearby that is identical to the one she is at. I won't say much more so I do not ruin it for you. It so well written. The main character Moira is great. I liked how each girl at the school got a chapter to let us know their story. I really thought things were going to go one way and then they didn't. The book deals with so many important issues like death, depression, addiction, self-harm, anorexia, and more. I really think this is one that everyone should read. Not only is this an enjoyable book, but it is also a very important story. I loved it and could not recommend it more.