Studies by Jenny Colgan

Book Review Oct 13, 2024

My review

3/5 stars

I bought this book for two reasons, and two reasons alone - it was written by Jenny Colgan and I have enjoyed some of her work in the past, and it was marketed at Malory Towers for adults.

On the whole, I found it a pleasant enough book to distract myself with. It was light yet thoughtful, and struck a good balance between the lives of the pupils and the lives of the teachers. It touched on class, family dynamics, education and friendship without ever feeling too heavy.

What I didn't realise, until I was halfway through the book at least, was that this was part of a wider series centred around the female protagonist Maggie Adair - in fact, the last in the series. It didn't overly impact on the reading experience, but it did help me to make sense of the fact that things were spoken about with a familiarity that I hadn't been able to place.

Where I struggled with this book overall is that I didn't feel a particularly strong interest in any of the characters. None of them grabbed my attention to a point that I felt compelled to care about their ending. I found the ending somewhat confusing and lacklustre, especially given my understanding that it is the last book in the series (though that may just be my reading into things incorrectly).

Book blurb

Maggie Adair, the passionate, devoted English teacher at Downey House, is about to ride off into the sunset with her new love when tragedy strikes. Pulled from their happy-ever-after, she and David must put their budding romance aside until they return for a new term, unsure where they now stand.

A fresh new year at Downey House comes with more drama from the students - with Fliss and Alice at odds after a summer apart, and Simone trying to nurture her new relationship while dealing with exam stresses, the new term is shaping up to be a challenge for all...