When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now... read full description
reviews
Apr 07, 2010
Chelsea
rated it: 
Eh.
I'm a sucker for all the hijinks that result when a female character has to disguise herself as a boy to do what she wants to do (Tamora Pierce, this is all your fault), so there was never a chance I wasn't going to read this one.
But it was awfully boring.
It started off very promising - Bet wants to go to school! Will doesn't! They hatch a plan! - but then it turns out that the whole thing was just a build up to "Bet falls for her roommate who thinks s More...
I'm a sucker for all the hijinks that result when a female character has to disguise herself as a boy to do what she wants to do (Tamora Pierce, this is all your fault), so there was never a chance I wasn't going to read this one.
But it was awfully boring.
It started off very promising - Bet wants to go to school! Will doesn't! They hatch a plan! - but then it turns out that the whole thing was just a build up to "Bet falls for her roommate who thinks s More...
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May 09, 2010
Lexie
rated it: 
I'm of two minds over The Education of Bet. On the one hand, this had all the makings of a historical novel I love. Feisty heroine, madcap adventures, romance, family secrets and its set somewhere in the 1800's. However, maybe due to the slim nature of the volume the story didn't feel complete. By the time the ending chapters occur I felt as if the author rushed to a conclusion too abruptly.
The story is very much like Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (of which Bet grows to love) or ma More...
The story is very much like Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (of which Bet grows to love) or ma More...
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(3 people liked it)
Aug 19, 2011
Nisha
rated it: 
To be honest, its really a 3.5 star book, but I'm a sucker for this theme, so I couldn't help rating it up.
Bet, or Elizabeth Smith, our heroine, is 16 and wants a education. Raised with a young man named William, who wants to skip out of school to join the military, she devises a plan to take his place in his new school while he goes out to war. She practices to become a boy and eventually ends up at the Betterman Academy. Unfortunately, the reality of this world is nothing near what More...
Bet, or Elizabeth Smith, our heroine, is 16 and wants a education. Raised with a young man named William, who wants to skip out of school to join the military, she devises a plan to take his place in his new school while he goes out to war. She practices to become a boy and eventually ends up at the Betterman Academy. Unfortunately, the reality of this world is nothing near what More...
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(2 people liked it)
Mar 09, 2011
Reading Vacation's Mom
rated it: 
REVIEW
The Education of Bet is a story about following your dreams. In this sweet story, both Bet and Will manage to fulfill their dreams. Bet disguises herself as Will so she can get a formal education. This allows Will to join the military as he has always wanted to do.
I liked reading about Bet’s transformation. She was so good at changing her appearance and her actions that everyone really did think she was a boy. Even her roommate at school, James, was fooled. The relationship between t More...
The Education of Bet is a story about following your dreams. In this sweet story, both Bet and Will manage to fulfill their dreams. Bet disguises herself as Will so she can get a formal education. This allows Will to join the military as he has always wanted to do.
I liked reading about Bet’s transformation. She was so good at changing her appearance and her actions that everyone really did think she was a boy. Even her roommate at school, James, was fooled. The relationship between t More...
May 16, 2011
Trish
rated it:
I choose to read this book not because the cover drew my eye (It didn't) but because of a contest I'm taking part of in the blogging world.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the book. It wasn't excellent but it wasn't horrible either. The book is very small and took no time to read. There wasn't much room for development either in the characters or in the plot. It was very straight and narrow. I think (though I can't be sure) the author intended it this way. I happen to t More...
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the book. It wasn't excellent but it wasn't horrible either. The book is very small and took no time to read. There wasn't much room for development either in the characters or in the plot. It was very straight and narrow. I think (though I can't be sure) the author intended it this way. I happen to t More...
Apr 01, 2011
melissa1lbr
rated it:
Things I Liked:
I'm always interested in historical fiction about women who seek education. I really enjoyed how realistically this one portrayed the difficulties involved! Sometimes, I find the stories for these escapades to be too simple and the difficulties sort of glossed over. Baratz-Logsted carefully considered all the things that would be so hard to conceal, including the monthly bleedings and the problem of a roommate. Bet was a fun character, sweet and determined to get what she More...
I'm always interested in historical fiction about women who seek education. I really enjoyed how realistically this one portrayed the difficulties involved! Sometimes, I find the stories for these escapades to be too simple and the difficulties sort of glossed over. Baratz-Logsted carefully considered all the things that would be so hard to conceal, including the monthly bleedings and the problem of a roommate. Bet was a fun character, sweet and determined to get what she More...
Feb 19, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
The Education of Bet is the story of a young woman who disguises herself as a boy in order to attend school. It was a light, enjoyable story. My main complaint was that it was a little too light, and definitely too short. In order for the premise to work, Bet had to come from a very specific social background--not high enough class that she would have had the expectations of a governess and tutors, but not so low that any schooling at all would be completely out of the realm of possibility.
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Dec 29, 2010
Karissa
rated it:
I have a soft spot of historical novels where a young girl goes against convention to fight for what she wants. This book was a sweet and wonderful novel about a girl (Bet) going the extra mile to get what she yearns for most...an education. I got an advanced reading copy of this novel through the Amazon Vine program.
Bet is the daughter of a maid and is being raised along with William who is the son of a lord. William hates school and wants to join the military, Bet wants to go to s More...
Bet is the daughter of a maid and is being raised along with William who is the son of a lord. William hates school and wants to join the military, Bet wants to go to s More...
Dec 01, 2010
Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids
rated it:
The Education of Bet is a delightful, easy Summer read that has a touch of the classics within it's pages. It's a book that I easily devoured in one sitting. I wish it had been a little longer, as Lauren has some fabulous characters I would have loved to learn more about.
The story itself is one I felt was well written. Set in a Victorian time period, Bet and Will live a life of privilege with their Uncle, but both want to live their dreams. In order to do that, Bet has the idea for th More...
The story itself is one I felt was well written. Set in a Victorian time period, Bet and Will live a life of privilege with their Uncle, but both want to live their dreams. In order to do that, Bet has the idea for th More...
Oct 08, 2010
Vicki
rated it:
I feel a little stingy giving this book two stars, but for better or for worse, I'm becoming harder to impress when it comes to YA books. There are so many good ones out there, but for every good, solid piece of writing (let alone any amazing, astounding piece of writing), there's a pile of clichés and tropes that have been done to death. I think that this book has a lot going for it, but all the delicate balancing the author does in the beginning of the book -- nestling her characters and the
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Sep 26, 2010
Trishnyc
rated it:
Bet and Will, though having lived in the same house when they were little children, never had much of a relationship. But a tragedy that results in both of Will's parents and Bet's mother's deaths finds them suddenly being raised by Will's rich uncle. At the inception of the story both are sixteen and while Bet stays home with Will's uncle reading to him and providing companionship, Will goes off to boarding school. But Will cannot seem to manage his education and has so far been expelled four t
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Sep 12, 2010
Angelina
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 04, 2010
Michelle
rated it:
Baratz-Logsted does a wonderful job painting a picture of the cloistered world in which Bet lives. Typical of this time period, she is expected to be seen and not heard. It is a crime (not literally) to be a woman who speaks openly, honestly, and with an air of education. In fact, education is absolutely unheard of for a girl, which is the underlying reason that Bet convinces her friend Will to switch places with her.
Keeping an air of dignity and propriety Bet slips flawlessly into More...
Keeping an air of dignity and propriety Bet slips flawlessly into More...
Aug 07, 2010
Tiger Holland (All-Consuming Books)
rated it:
Will and Bet have been raised as siblings in old Mr. Gardener's house, but Mr. Gardener is Will's great uncle and Bet knows that although she's treated nearly like family, she's just the orphaned daughter of a maid, taken in as an act of pure charity. But by the time she's sixteen, she knows her good fortune can't last—she has no inheritance, no status and no permanent position in the house. So when Will gets expelled from his fourth school in a row and he explains to her that his heart is set o
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Aug 05, 2010
Rachael
rated it:
Will and Bet have been raised as brother and sister since tragic events brought them together to the same household. But now that they are sixteen, there are expectations placed upon them. Will is forced to attend school because he is a boy, while Bet must stay at home because she is a girl. Neither is very happy. Bet wants with all her being to continue her education at school, and Will wants to join the army. So Bet devises a plan that will allow both of them to get their way: Bet will take Wi
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Jul 25, 2010
Katieb (MundieMoms)
rated it:
The Education of Bet is a delightful, easy Summer read that has a touch of the classics within it's pages. It's a book that I easily devoured in one sitting. I wish it had been a little longer, as Lauren has some fabulous characters I would have loved to learn more about.
The story itself is one I felt was well written. Set in a Victorian time period, Bet and Will live a life of privilege with their Uncle, but both want to live their dreams. In order to do that, Bet has the idea for More...
The story itself is one I felt was well written. Set in a Victorian time period, Bet and Will live a life of privilege with their Uncle, but both want to live their dreams. In order to do that, Bet has the idea for More...
Jun 11, 2010
Kate
rated it:
Elizabeth, or Bet as she is fondly called, is the daughter of a maid and an unknown father. All her life, Bet has wanted a formal education. Yet due to her being female, this is out of the question. Will, a childhood friend, wishes to free himself of the educational constraints that have been placed upon him to pursue the military life. Enter Bet's crazy idea... to switch places. Bet believes that it is possible for her to pretend to be Will so that she can pursue her dream while he is off livin
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May 27, 2010
Wicked Walker
rated it:
The Quick and the Dirty...A quick and hilarious book about a girl determined to follow her dreams, no matter what it takes.
Why I was tempted to read this...I have been a fan of Lauren's writing for awhile (see my review on Crazy Beautiful) and I love historical fiction, this was a no-brainer read for me and I have been looking forward to it for months!
Cover thoughts...Very pretty, very time-period appropriate.
Romance Meter...It was about a 3.5 out of 5 on the More...
Why I was tempted to read this...I have been a fan of Lauren's writing for awhile (see my review on Crazy Beautiful) and I love historical fiction, this was a no-brainer read for me and I have been looking forward to it for months!
Cover thoughts...Very pretty, very time-period appropriate.
Romance Meter...It was about a 3.5 out of 5 on the More...
Dec 25, 2010
A Canadian Girl
rated it:
The Education of Bet is the first of Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s novels that I’ve read, and it was a short but humorous read.
Bet has a very engaging voice, and I loved how determined she was to fulfill her dream of getting an education. It just made me realize how lucky I am to be living in a time period and country where being a girl and having the ability to get an education is sometimes taken for granted. This wasn’t always the case however and still isn’t in many places around the w More...
Bet has a very engaging voice, and I loved how determined she was to fulfill her dream of getting an education. It just made me realize how lucky I am to be living in a time period and country where being a girl and having the ability to get an education is sometimes taken for granted. This wasn’t always the case however and still isn’t in many places around the w More...
Jul 13, 2010
JG (The Introverted Reader)
rated it:
Elizabeth is an intelligent young woman growing up within the constraints of Victorian society. To make matters worse, she is "the maid's daughter." After her mother and the owners of the house where she worked died, Bet is taken along with the heir, Will, to live with Will's uncle. Bet is treated as something between, neither family nor servant. She's allowed to read and study whatever she wants and develops a thirst for knowledge. When Will is kicked out of yet another school, B
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Jun 20, 2010
Reading
rated it:
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I'm writing this first because I'm afraid that if you're anything like me, you may look at the cover and think this book isn't for you. Period books are not the books that I would normally be drawn to (as you can probably tell from the books I've read and loved previously), but when Lauren Baratz-Logsted contacted me about reading this book, I thought it sounded interesting, so I said I would read it. I'm SO glad that I did!!
About the book:
Elizabeth Smith More...
About the book:
Elizabeth Smith More...
Dec 12, 2010
Small Review
rated it:
Summary
The 1800s were not a good time for women in want of an education, as young Bet well knows. Inspired by her desire to learn, Bet jumps at the opportunity to attend boarding school. The only catch? Bet must disguise herself as her cousin Will in order to gain admittance. Donning the garb of a young man and lowering the pitch of her voice, Bet believes she will have no trouble blending in. But boys will be boys, as the old adage says, and Bet soon learns it takes more to be a boy t More...
The 1800s were not a good time for women in want of an education, as young Bet well knows. Inspired by her desire to learn, Bet jumps at the opportunity to attend boarding school. The only catch? Bet must disguise herself as her cousin Will in order to gain admittance. Donning the garb of a young man and lowering the pitch of her voice, Bet believes she will have no trouble blending in. But boys will be boys, as the old adage says, and Bet soon learns it takes more to be a boy t More...
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(2 people liked it)
Aug 13, 2010
Laura
rated it:
'An Education of Bet' is a short yet exceedingly sweet story. It's premise is fairly familiar: to achieve something society does not allow girls to do, she must become a boy. When Bet finds out that Will, the boy she has been raised with, is going to start at a new school yet does not wish to go, she begins the deception by cutting off her hair and learning to speak, write, and walk like a young man. Her plan goes extremely well; that is, until she meets her extremely handsome roommate. In the e
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 08, 2011
R
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 23, 2011
Wisteriouswoman
rated it:
It was a sweet quick read. Probably one that a 12 year old might like. It is a bit of a fairy story/romance book in that way. I wish it was more true to the historical period that was portrayed. The fact that she so easily fell in love with her roommate and revealed herself to him was a bit far fetched. It would have been better with a more tomboy character especially since she had grown up playing with just one boy and no girlfriends. I was surprised that the bullies were mean to any boy they f
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Jan 25, 2011
Reads_ten_each
rated it:
After reading books like the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, I've been searching for another Victoria themed book that had some sort of a twist to it. And with the Education of Bet, I got more of a laugh then a fantastical twist.
Main character Elizabeth, aka Bet, longs for to go to school just like her friend Will, who has been expelled from four different schools on four different accounts. And Will wishes to join the military and become his own man. Bet, having no family or prospects More...
Main character Elizabeth, aka Bet, longs for to go to school just like her friend Will, who has been expelled from four different schools on four different accounts. And Will wishes to join the military and become his own man. Bet, having no family or prospects More...
Jan 17, 2012
Stephanie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 18, 2011
Bayla
rated it:
Bet can't go to school, because she is a girl. Will wants to leave school and go into the military. They happen to look alike. You can see where this is going, can't you? Of course, while Bet is at school, dressed as a boy, there is this boy...
This book was candy. Total candy. I am a sucker for girl-dressed-as-boy stories, a sucker for cute,clean romances, and I like school-related stories. Oh, and history (although the history in this book is mostly related to the clothing and the fac More...
This book was candy. Total candy. I am a sucker for girl-dressed-as-boy stories, a sucker for cute,clean romances, and I like school-related stories. Oh, and history (although the history in this book is mostly related to the clothing and the fac More...
Jul 18, 2011
Andrea
rated it:
Bet (Elizabeth) wants an education, but she lives in a time where girls are not sent away for such things. Will has just been thrown out of his fourth school. School doesn't interest him; he would rather be in the military. Two unfulfillable dreams-until Bet comes up with the idea to take Will's place. Bet looks much like Will, and she's great at voices. She studies Will's handwriting, how he walks and talks, tailors his clothing to fit her, and lets Will cut her hair. It seems that both of thei
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Aug 31, 2010
Jolene
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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