A lovely story that is somewhere between commercial and literary fiction. I loved the dynamics between the characters and found it very page - turning.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I am a fan of books in this genre, so I was very much looking forward to reading this one. I was not dissapointed and both the plot and characters gripped me from the start. I will definitley aim to read another by this author. Highly reccomended!

Book Review: The Gifted School

This is a tough one to review as I both liked it and didn't like it!

For starters there were way too many main characters, about 17 at a rough count. And all the switching between points of view was jarring, as there was so many of them. And the pace was slow too.

However on the other hand, the characters were really interesting and it was fun to see how their lives intersected and what they thought of each other versus what they shared to their faces. And it's mad to see the lengths some of the parents would go to get their children in to this school.

Overall I'm really glad I read it, even if I did have some issues with it. A slow burn, but with lots of family drama and backstabbing. It would would make a good Netflix series!

🔘 Thanks to Headline Review for giving me for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.🔘

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (3/5 stars)
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Received from Publisher

📖Book Blurb📖

In the peaceful, privileged community of Crystal, Colorado, a group of close friends are raising their families in harmony.

Until one day, news begins to spread that a 'gifted school' will be opening its doors in their town. There are only a few prestigious places, and the competition will be ferocious.

As parents and children begin to compete, cracks start to show in this picturesque community. Fault lines appear between friends and siblings, in marriages and careers, as old resentments start to simmer and long-buried secrets threaten to detonate under the pressure...

Just how far will these parents go to give their children a good education, and what will be the ultimate price?

In my role as English Teacher, I love being able to spend time reviewing books for our school library which I use to help the students make great picks when they visit us as well as running a library junior and senior book group where we meet every week and share the books we love and talk about what makes a great read. This is certainly a book that I'd be happy to display at the front as one of my monthly 'top picks' which often transform into 'most borrowed' between students and staff. It's a great read and ties in with my ethos of wishing to assemble a diverse, modern and thought-provoking range of books that will inspire and deepen a love of reading in our students of all ages. This book answers this brief in spade! It has s fresh and original voice and asks the readers to think whilst hooking them with a compelling storyline and strong characters It is certainly a book that I've thought about a lot after finishing it and I've also considered how we could use some of its paragraphs in supporting and inspiring creative writing in the school through the writers' circle that we run. This is a book that I shall certainly recommend we purchase and look forward to hearing how much the staff and students enjoy this memorable and thought-provoking read.

This was a near-perfect read for me. Following a long-standing group of friends as they navigate the upper-class woes of schooling; both public, private and privileged.
I was warmed by the entanglement of friends and family members as well as having a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach throughout - it was like watching a car crash happen!
The friends weaselled and lied but yet loved and protected each other fiercely.

It was a truly excellent read for fans of Ask Again, Yes and Little Fires Everywhere

In the affluent town of Crystal in Colorado there was a great stirring of interest when the news was released that a new public school for the gifted is about to be built. The area is well endowed with ambitious parents who do anything they can to make sure their little darlings excel. Four women have been friends since their children were born. Whilst supportive of each other, they are each convinced this school is just what their child needs and will go out of their way to make sure they are admitted. The story follows the families, along with the Peruvian family who cleans for two of them through the assessment process.

I really enjoyed seeing the story from so many different angles. Some I found really irritating, some I felt sorry for & some I really disliked! It was a good read & the ending was very satisfying! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for this enjoyable read.

Fans of Leanne Moriarty will love this. A group of mothers (and some fathers) are trying to get their kids into a new public school for gifted children. I've read criticism that many of the main characters are Caucasian but I think that's part of the point of the story. The contrast between them and the Peruvian family is stark for a reason. While I found the first chapters confusing - which kids, particularly the Emmas, were related to which adults - I was soon swept in. It took me longer to read than other similar-length novels but that was because it was making me think. Some of the parents did some pretty radical things but what parent wouldn't want "the best" for their child? It made me realise how stupid some of the parent-wars are and how certain choices don't affect kids in the same way. Recommended as a guide on how not to parent.

I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.

When I started reading this book there were so many characters I was getting lost but after the first few chapters I got to grips with them and really got into the story and what an amazing story it is!
This book is filled with highs, lows, complexities, love, hate and lies and is a real page turner.
I can imagine this book becoming a tv series.
I cannot wait to read more from this outstanding author!

Seemed like the author tried adding depth to the characters in order to bolster up the plot but it didn’t work. Boring people and a boring storyline.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book and read in one sitting, I am not sure why I did but I did. Would recommend.

I think perhaps this is one for people who have faced or who face similar contortions of angst about their kids education while buggering up other kids opportunities. Not one for me I'm afraid. I had no patience with the people or the concept.

This book is about a gifted students' school. Only elite people can access it and of course there's a big competition to enter there by families.
I like reading about schools and this sort of elite schools and how far people can go to achieve what they want.
It was a good book, but I think it could be much more interesting and exciting if it was a little deeper. I found it to be on the surface.

Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating tale of how far people will go to gain access to a school for gifted students. This implies a narrow subject focussing on a wealthy elite, however the subject is much broader, entertaining but at the same time making you question what is reasonable behaviour when chasing your dreams Very few characters behave well or are likeable but they are plausible and all too human.. I raced through it, guessing (generally incorrectly) what might happen and how it would end. Whether you have children or not you will be gripped by the risks people take to achieve and maintain their dreams, regardless of the wider consequences and wishes of family and friends. Thanks to Headline and Netgalley for providing me with this free and thought provoking ARC.

I'm sure it'll get snapped up for some kind of TV show, but where's the substance? Most of this book is essentially a vignette into the lives of people richer and better well off than you are. It's so hefty that a lot of time is spent writing and developing characters rather than involving any actual plot. You're waiting for tension that never seems to come. The cast is large and complex and immensely Caucasian, so it makes for a weird reading experience. Unfortunately, not one for me.

A fun and interesting read. Good well written characters. Would recommend this book. A nice change of pace