The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) - by Alyssa Sheinmel

About the Book

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.

Book Synopsis

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 Times bestselling 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

Review Quotes

"An achingly beautiful exploration of grief and relationships, parents and children, the ways we hurt and the ways we heal. THE CASTLE SCHOOL masterfully displays Sheinmel's talent for building tension while crafting complex, flawed and fascinating characters. Moira's story and those of the students at the mysterious Castle Schools gripped me from the first page and held me fast long after I finished reading." -- Gilly Segal, New York Times bestselling 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

"In the long run the story seems to center back to Moira's growth through her pain from Nathan's death. One of those more poignant narratives that I got choked up while reading was the passage where Moira talks about how we can cry without actual tears." -- Youth Services Book Review

"An effective exploration of mental illness, and it will share a coveted place on reading lists with Laurie Halse Anderson and Patricia McCormick." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"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 Reviews

"Sheinmel's introspective story skillfully illustrates the weight of grief, the difference between adaptive and nonadaptive reactions to trauma, and the healing power of radical acceptance." -- Publishers Weekly