Scan barcode
kenzee06's review against another edition
2.0
For a book about magic...there was very little magic in this book. Kind of a shame.
knittyreader's review against another edition
4.0
I loved how this book combined the nice feeling of a good school with girls and nice food, with a lot of action and a great world.
At the start some things seemed overdone - no need to tell twice in as many sentences that the food is scrumptious for example, without it I had believed the greatness of the food at the school as well. These were little pet peeves in the style that were annoying at the start, like I said, but they became less frequent while the story developed. It could have been that the story was so good that I did not notice them anymore off course ;-)
I received a free copy through Netglley in return for an honest review.
At the start some things seemed overdone - no need to tell twice in as many sentences that the food is scrumptious for example, without it I had believed the greatness of the food at the school as well. These were little pet peeves in the style that were annoying at the start, like I said, but they became less frequent while the story developed. It could have been that the story was so good that I did not notice them anymore off course ;-)
I received a free copy through Netglley in return for an honest review.
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
4.0
DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. As an added bonus, it was signed--with my name! This made me squeal probably more than it should have. Still, thanks.
4.5 Stars!!
Mostly Miss Mabel's School for Girls centers on Bianca, a teenager with a curse that she needs broken. Bianca plans on entering the school, and doing whatever is required to get Miss Mabel, the school's owner, to remove this curse. You'll get to know her teachers, fellow students, and her family.
There's not much I didn't like about this book, so I'll get that out of the way first. Initially, some of the characters felt hackneyed. Some of the events that unfolded weren't exactly surprises. And sure, sure, readers who enjoyed Harry Potter will probably like this too, although I didn't feel it was derivative. It just shares a few similarities.
By the end, none of that really mattered. Katie Cross' skill at character development sucked me in, and kept me eager to see what happened next. The good people aren't nauseatingly mamby pamby; they have flaws and weaknesses. The nasty ones are perfect at what they do. Even though it's a fantasy title, Cross made it all feel believable. Her pacing and timing flow just right, and her writing style appeals to both teenagers and adults.
The ending works well at keeping me eager for the next title, but at the same time being a satisfying title on its own merits.
Note: I only put this in my 'violent' shelf because some bad (and violent) things happen, and there's at least one super duper evil character, wicked through and through.
I read a fair number of first books in a proposed series. Most of the time, I'm good with just reading the initial title. Sometimes I figure if things work out, I'll read the next in the series. Rarely do I highly look forward to reading the next book, and I can say that I will definitely read Book Two in the Network Series!
4.5 Stars!!
Mostly Miss Mabel's School for Girls centers on Bianca, a teenager with a curse that she needs broken. Bianca plans on entering the school, and doing whatever is required to get Miss Mabel, the school's owner, to remove this curse. You'll get to know her teachers, fellow students, and her family.
There's not much I didn't like about this book, so I'll get that out of the way first. Initially, some of the characters felt hackneyed. Some of the events that unfolded weren't exactly surprises. And sure, sure, readers who enjoyed Harry Potter will probably like this too, although I didn't feel it was derivative. It just shares a few similarities.
By the end, none of that really mattered. Katie Cross' skill at character development sucked me in, and kept me eager to see what happened next. The good people aren't nauseatingly mamby pamby; they have flaws and weaknesses. The nasty ones are perfect at what they do. Even though it's a fantasy title, Cross made it all feel believable. Her pacing and timing flow just right, and her writing style appeals to both teenagers and adults.
The ending works well at keeping me eager for the next title, but at the same time being a satisfying title on its own merits.
Note: I only put this in my 'violent' shelf because some bad (and violent) things happen, and there's at least one super duper evil character, wicked through and through.
I read a fair number of first books in a proposed series. Most of the time, I'm good with just reading the initial title. Sometimes I figure if things work out, I'll read the next in the series. Rarely do I highly look forward to reading the next book, and I can say that I will definitely read Book Two in the Network Series!
humanignorance's review against another edition
1.0
1.5 stars. The backstory was revealed in the middle, rendering the first third or so very confusing. The magic system was uninteresting, the characters were poor, and it moved much too slowly.
elmattcrews's review against another edition
5.0
I am blown away.
I was a tad skeptical at first as this was a free ebook. But this was literally magic; witches, curses, deceit, adventure. Brilliant.
Now if you'll excuse me, I must pine for the rest of the series...
I was a tad skeptical at first as this was a free ebook. But this was literally magic; witches, curses, deceit, adventure. Brilliant.
Now if you'll excuse me, I must pine for the rest of the series...
cjay1957's review against another edition
5.0
Witches and High priests, magic, spells and hexes. What more could a fantasy lover ask for. Good vs evil is a given and a fairytale that grabs you on the first page and carries you too quickly to the final page. Love it.
caityfalcon's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book after wanting to find another series about a school with magic and dragons after the series that won't be named
meowzik's review against another edition
3.0
This had the makings of an excellent book, but it lost a little in the execution for me. The characters were great, I thought Bianca was written really well, as were the side characters, but I thought Miss Mabel came across as one-dimensional. I would have loved to see more about the competition - for all the hype it was given, and that it was such a big deal that Bianca competed, there wasn't nearly enough detail. I know it was just a stepping stone for the main plot line, but I think it would have added depth to the book. There were moments where I was reminded of Harry Potter (series, not character), but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. It picked up towards the end, and I thought the finish was good, but as before, I felt it was missing something. I'll be checking out the next book in the series, though.
amibunk's review against another edition
4.0
For a debut novel, Miss Mabel's School for Girls was a nicely written, enjoyable surprise. Lacking the conventional YA gimmicks (wretched love triangles, damsels in distress rescued by overly handsome love interests, snarky dialogue at the expense of the story-line) this novel read a bit like a middle grade book, but don't let that fool you. This book definitely has the sophistication and plot to interest teenagers and adults alike.
There are so many things to like about this novel: a boarding school for witches, a dastardly villain, a strong (if slightly underdeveloped) main character, and a gripping, fast paced plot. Plus, did I mention there was no love triangle?
Likewise, there were some weak points. The character development wasn't the strongest. The writing, while definitely competent, lacked some sophistication and subtlety. However, the problems were miniscule.
I am anxiously waiting to get my hands on the next installment of this series.
There are so many things to like about this novel: a boarding school for witches, a dastardly villain, a strong (if slightly underdeveloped) main character, and a gripping, fast paced plot. Plus, did I mention there was no love triangle?
Likewise, there were some weak points. The character development wasn't the strongest. The writing, while definitely competent, lacked some sophistication and subtlety. However, the problems were miniscule.
I am anxiously waiting to get my hands on the next installment of this series.
simonea's review against another edition
3.0
Another magical school, woohoo! It’s always a bit of a challenge to write a book about a school where magic is being thought. Due to the enormous success of Harry Potter, a lot of people are interested in similar books. On the other hand, the danger lurks in the fact that it might end up being a comparable story or even a dupe.
For myself, I’m always very interested in reading new books about magical schools. The power of Harry Potter! With that, come a lot of expectations as well. And most of the time I end up being disappointed, either because it was too similar or just not good enough.
For Miss Mabel’s School for Girls I decided to give the theme another try. I have to admit that it was mainly because of the cover (it’s sooo pretty!) and the rather unusual title. Katie Cross tells the story of sixteen-year-old Bianca, a witch who has inherited a deadly curse. Her only hope of survival is confronting the witch who cast the curse, Miss Mabel, who happens to be the head master of the local witch school. Problem: she is a bitch. Can Bianca get her to remove the curse? And at what cost?
The story of the book was quite interesting. It didn’t remind me too much of the already mentioned other magical school and brought a lot of action. The writing style is okay but not excellent. Weird sentences could be found every now and then.
What was lacking the most was the world and character building. The author was telling a story, an interesting one. Loads of descriptions, but the story went too fast. It was a bit flat. The characters where a little black and white. They were either good or bad, nice or unfriendly. But they stayed constant over the course of the story, development was nowhere to be found. It could have been great with some more depth, but was just ‘okay’ without.
Extra points go to Katie Cross for writing up a magical school where they teach algebra by the way. Go, Katie!
For myself, I’m always very interested in reading new books about magical schools. The power of Harry Potter! With that, come a lot of expectations as well. And most of the time I end up being disappointed, either because it was too similar or just not good enough.
For Miss Mabel’s School for Girls I decided to give the theme another try. I have to admit that it was mainly because of the cover (it’s sooo pretty!) and the rather unusual title. Katie Cross tells the story of sixteen-year-old Bianca, a witch who has inherited a deadly curse. Her only hope of survival is confronting the witch who cast the curse, Miss Mabel, who happens to be the head master of the local witch school. Problem: she is a bitch. Can Bianca get her to remove the curse? And at what cost?
The story of the book was quite interesting. It didn’t remind me too much of the already mentioned other magical school and brought a lot of action. The writing style is okay but not excellent. Weird sentences could be found every now and then.
What was lacking the most was the world and character building. The author was telling a story, an interesting one. Loads of descriptions, but the story went too fast. It was a bit flat. The characters where a little black and white. They were either good or bad, nice or unfriendly. But they stayed constant over the course of the story, development was nowhere to be found. It could have been great with some more depth, but was just ‘okay’ without.
Extra points go to Katie Cross for writing up a magical school where they teach algebra by the way. Go, Katie!