The Education of Bet

Mar 24, 2010 Chelsea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, advance, girldisguisedasboy, historicalfiction, own, youngadult, fiction

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 she's a boy oh no!". I can get behind that...more

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May 26, 2012 Anne Osterlund rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bet longs to go to school, despite being a girl and the less-than-important daughter of a housemaid. Meanwhile, Will—Bet’s privileged childhood playmate—squanders his own opportunities, managing to get himself expelled from four educational institutions. When he is accepted to a fifth school—which he disdains—Bet’s jealousy bursts into frustration.

And into a plan to take Will’s place. He will go into the military—his own personal dream. And she will disguise herself as a boy in order to attend t...more

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May 09, 2010 Lexie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-romance, review-blog

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 maybe more accurat...more 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 maybe more accurately the Amanda Bynes' movie from about half a decade ago She's the Man (in which Bynes dresses like her twin brother, and attends school in his place, all while he's off having some sort of musical epiphany). Actually that's an apt description; much of what happens to Viola in the movie (it is a direct update of Twelfth Night) is mirrored in The Education of Bet. That's not a bad thing! Amanda Bynes in general, and She's the Man in specific, entertains me a lot. It just made me feel like dejavu.

What works best for this novel is when Bet is struggling to be more 'boy' like, but ending up being even less so. To that point Bet lived a very sheltered life, having never left the estate since her and Will had moved in with their Uncle. All her knowledge of what boys are like come from Will, his stories and her books. She doesn't understand why there is so much social posturing, bullying, arguing and a sort of defeatism. While this makes sense, it also marks her as being very very naive. There's no doubt that at the all-girl schools similiar, if less hands-on and violent, things happen between the students. Just whereas boys will use their fists first, girls use their words. Bet never had that experience however, being the bastard daughter of a maid. She often will question things that happen or things that her room-mate, James, acts as if are ordinary.

The characters over all are shallow feeling, with very little depth given to the vast majority of them. Bet longs for an education and to go to school, but we're never shown exactly why (for the freedom of it? Just because she wants to? The author implies several different reasons, but doesn't seek to expand on them). Similiarly Will longs to join the military, but has such a romantisized view of it that it made me wonder at if he was at all intelligent. James is quiet, and feared and likes to keep a low profile--but until the end we aren't told very much of his backstory. I'm still wondering why the other students kept a wide berth from him (just because he was so weird?).

There is also a certain amount of uneveness to the narrative. For the first fifty pages Bet goes back and forth with memories and stories she was told of her family before moving in with Gardner. Once she's at the school, other than infrequent letters to Will, its almost exclusively dedicated to the present. This makes the news Bet receives seem like it come out of no where. Truly when she said "I hadn't thought about it" (that's the paraphrase, if I put the quote in it would be a spoiler) in a surprised manner I believed her. I certainly hadn't thought about it. The scattered clues leading to the revealation were just there in the story.

Though this is a critical review, I did enjoy the novel. Bet's interactions with Will and later James are amusing, as is her commentary on what its like to be a boy. Just reading about her trying to keep all the lies straight is entertaining. Unfortunately it suffers from being entirely too short. 192 pages was clearly not enough time for Baratz-Logsted to flesh out this story suitably.

And a minor pet peeve: the exact year this is set is never said or shown. Nor are there any clues as to when it is! While I don't think knowing whether it was set in 1804 or 1876 is critical to the plot, it would have at least kept me from trying to figure it out.
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Aug 19, 2011 Nisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genderbender-crossdressing, ya-fiction, historicalromance, schoolyard

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 she imagine...more 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 she imagined. She struggles and gets bullied and what not. Fortunately, she has an awesome hot roommate who she falls for and dresses up like a girl to dance with. Does this sound familiar? It's like a popular fanfic story. But historical and the girl doesn't really think far enough to figure out what to do with her education.

Unfortunately for this book, it was greatly underdeveloped in the motivations of each of the characters. For example, Bet was living during a time period when women were not educated, while her feminist rant was entirely 20th century. In fact, some of her speech was 21st century. The real William was also 16, but his dreams of entering the military was not really explored. William also considered Bet as a sort of sister, so knowing how boys are, I can't imagine how he allows her to impersonate him. James Tyler... we never really know what he's thinking, but he accepted Bet's sex too readily.

It was all just TOO SHORT. I wanted so much more to the story, but it was just an edited historical fanfic. It was "historical", but without the necessary historical details. The thoughts of all the characters were all too modern. The whole gender-bending situation was all too easy. Afterall, it was Bet's first time out in the "real" world. The romance was all too convenient. And there was no real romantic tension developed between the two. It was just that he was hot, a great friend and supposedly felt uncomfortable near her (because of her pheromones).

Still, I enjoyed the book, so I will still recommend it to those who like the theme.(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

What a fun book! The EDUCATION OF BET took me totally by surprise. The storyline caught my interest, but it was the actual book that kept me turning the pages.

Elizabeth "Bet" was the daughter of the manor help. Will was the son of the lord of the manor. They were born into the same house, but never interacted. At least not until they were both orphaned and Will's uncle took them in.
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Bet is stuck between two worlds - that of servant and that of almost family...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Reading Vacation rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 these t...more

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May 16, 2011 Trish rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, made-me-laugh

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 think of it l...more 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 think of it like a historical chick flick. Very quick. Very fun.

I loved Bet. I loved how she hated being stuck in her current circumstance as a woman and goes to great lengths (masquerading as a boy) in order to get an education. I liked her near fearlessness and her saucyness. Some of the things she said made me snort a little. I liked how she revealed herself when the moment came for her to do so. I didn't like her quick discussions or her inability to truly focus on herself. She was a self sacrificing character, and for someone with so much fire, she does little to help herself.

The boys of the book were cute. Both with as much wit as Bet and both not knowing quite what to do with her. The book was primarily focused on her, so there was little room to get to know the men of the story. Her fling was quick and cute. Nothing more than that. It left me wanting to know exactly how far their relationship would develop. Sadly, the story raced in an opposite direction.

The plot was predictable. I knew who Bet's father was by a single sentence. I knew that she would be found out. I knew she would be sent home in disgrace. I knew the secretes of her life before she did simply because the plot left little room for anything else to happen.

Still, despite this I enjoyed the book because it was so cute and funny and a little entertaining. If I could I would give it 3.5 stars.

Fav Quote:
"Thank you," I said.
"I'm only doing this to shut you up."
"You shouldn't talk with pins in your mouth. And anyway, I wasn't thanking you for doing what I asked."
Will stopped for a moment, looked up at me. "What, then?"
"I was thanking you for calling me impossible." I smiled down at him. "I rather like the idea of being impossible."
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Apr 01, 2011 melissa1lbr rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

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 wants. I...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Kelly Williams rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, ya

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. In o...more 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. In order to go undercover into a boy's school, one first needs access to said school. Bet had that, and I found her odd situation as compelling as it was heartbreaking. On the down side, I found it enormously hard to believe that no one noticed Bet and Will as they went about training her to be a "boy." Perhaps if either character were in an actual position of power in the house I might have been able to swallow the servants looking the other way, but neither were. It seemed ridiculous that no one ever mentioned anything to Will's uncle. After Baratz-Logsted spent so much time crafting a not-family, not-servant role for Bet, it was disappointing to see the servants treated as such non-entities in the story. Indeed, Bet herself gives little thought to the danger they posed to her plot, when one would think that she of all people would be keenly aware of any danger to her precarious position in the house.

I enjoyed the at-school portion of the story on the whole, but again questioned the story's historical accuracy when no one blinks at "Will's" twin sister strolling up to the school for the dance completely unchaperoned. The area of society these people occupied was riddled with rules, and young women were the most constricted. Bet the twin sister would never have traveled on her own, and certainly not to a school filled with young men.

The story ends happily and neatly, which I can appreciate even when it feels a little pat. I would have liked to know more about James' situation beyond his single letter, and would definitely liked to have seen James and Bet's reunion. Like I said, a little longer.

All in all, this was a fun, enjoyable book, but my experience with it suffered primarily because I read The Twin's Daughter, a much heavier and more complex book by Baratz-Logsted, first.(less)

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Dec 29, 2010 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 school more th...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-100-book-challenge, arcs-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews

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 them to swit...more

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Oct 08, 2010 Vicki rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, britishy, good-for-girls, historical-fiction, young-adult-books

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 their...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Trishnyc rated it 4 of 5 stars

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...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Angelina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 04, 2010 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 the life of h...more 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 the life of her partner in crime. Subtly devious Bet does her best to maintain her decorum and as much of a ladylike stance as possible given her new prep school surroundings. As one would expect, she did struggle a bit with the differences between being a girl and the presumptions of being a boy but I felt like she was a bit too quick to take to all of the mannerisms and traits her deception required. I would have preferred to see her struggle a bit more with that adjustment.

Having said that, there was struggle galore in her assimilation into the boys will be boys culture of school. Baratz-Logsted was pitch perfect in her portrayal of that aspect. Being a girl posing as a boy certainly brought with it certain difficulties and she demonstrated that quite well using the relationships Bet was building (or not building) with her fellow classmates.

Despite the initial focus of the story being on Bet’s desire for an education it quickly took a back seat to other aspects of the plot (most notably romance) once she arrived at school. There were still references to that underlying theme throughout but once in the school setting the story shifted its focus more into the interpersonal relationships she was building with the different boys on campus. I say this not because it was a detriment of the story but because it is from this element that Education of Bet showed it’s greatest strengths.

There were many twists and turns throughout the story that I saw coming but I feel confident that the intended target audience of readers much younger than I am will be surprised by the outcome of several key points in the story. They are well devised and not at all overbearing as they unfold. Baratz-Logsted has definitely mastered the art of finessing a story to keep it from being heavy handed in critical areas of suspence.

I must admit I much preferred Baratz-Logsted’s Crazy Beautiful, but even so The Education of Bet is a great book for girls who are interested in starting to dabble in romance and historical fiction. The portrayal of the time period was deep enough to give good perspective but not so overwhelming that it took over the whole story with excessive descriptions and flowery prose. Add to that a sweetly endearing love story and you have the perfect book for upper middle graders and beyond.(less)

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Aug 05, 2010 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

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...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Katieb (MundieMoms) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-i-own, books-i-own, 2010-100-book-challenge, mundie-moms-review

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 them to swit...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

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...more

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May 27, 2010 Wicked Walker rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 romance, there is definitely an attr...more 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 romance, there is definitely an attraction between Bet (or Will as she calls herself when she is in disguise) and her roommate, James. This romance of course cannot be pursued too much because James thinks she is guy! When Bet gets to attend a dance as herself when "Will" is sick, the romance starts there with the obvious spark between the two and keeps things heated up, especially when she has a tendency to want to act like Bet when she is Will around James!

Character and Plot...Bet is determined to get an education, something not allowed to women in the era she lived, even if that means cutting off her hair and learning how to be a guy. Will, the boy that was brought up as a brother to her, doesn't appreciate school and would really rather join the military and start living his life, so Bet proposes a trade. She will be him and go to school (since he has to start a new one for getting expelled from the last one) and he can go join the military. While trying to plan for everything, of course, Bet forgets some very important things and doesn't know about others, so needless to say she isn't really prepared for a lot of things at school. This book had me laughing out loud at some of the stuff she was doing and how she reacted to certain things, but this girl has backbone and I really liked that about her. James, her roommate and future love, is very mysterious and different from most of the kids at the school, his character develops more towards the end of the book. At 192 pages, this is a quick, light read but one I finished in an afternoon because it was really fun to read. Bet and her antics will have you laughing out loud and flipping pages because you will want to know what kind of trouble she will get into next.

The Ending...It ended was pretty predictably but good. Everything wrapped up nicely with no major surprises except with James, because you just didn't know much about him. You will walk away chuckling and smiling and wishing the book was a little bit longer so you could stay in Bet's world to see what she will get into next. If you haven't read any books by this author, I urge you to grab one and get ready to crack up, she has a great sense of humor.

Fun Author Fact...Throughout college, on semester breaks she worked as a doughnut salesperson, a job she swears gave her white lung disease from inhaling all the powered sugar flying around. Oh I would gain so much weight working there! ha ha(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Marsha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-fiction, romance, young-adult

Light as a soufflé but deeper than a deep dish pizza, “The Education of Bet” is a story dealing with the idea of a girl posing as a boy. Bet gives up her secret a little too easily to suit me and, in spite of the fact that this is all about her trying to get an education, we see very little of her time spent in class. We know she learns Greek, Latin and delves into literature. But there are no actual lessons shown. It’s an omission I’ve noted in other novels so perhaps it’s a common stylistic ch...more

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Dec 25, 2010 A Canadian Girl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, 4-stars, houghton-mifflin

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 world.

It’s wh...more

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Jul 13, 2010 JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3_stars, arc, author_american, fiction, historical_fiction, read_in_2010, reviewed, setting_uk, strong_females, young_adult

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, Bet decides that...more 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, Bet decides that they should each pursue what they want. She assumes Will's identity and heads off to school in his place while he runs off to join the military. But there's much more to becoming a boy than developing bad handwriting, and it's much harder to leave behind a girl's feelings than Bet had expected.

I don't have a whole lot to say about this. I am more than twice the age of the intended audience, hard as that is for me to believe, and so I didn't feel like I read anything new here. Younger audiences will probably feel differently. I couldn't help but compare this to Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. The genres are different (historical fiction and fantasy), but the basic plot is very much the same. I think Alanna was more well-developed.

I liked Bet well enough. She was plucky and stood up for what she believed in, no matter how scared she was. She also pursued her dreams wholeheartedly, knowing that she would regret it if she didn't seize this one chance offered to her.

There's a "revelation" at the end that I saw coming from miles away. Again, though, I am a lot older than the intended audience.

The time line was a little jarring. A new chapter would flash forward pretty far, often in a letter, and then the events would go back to explain what I had just read. I don't mind stories that jump around like that as long as I can see a reason for it, and I couldn't find a reason for this. It just came across as jerky.

While I wasn't exactly thrilled with this book, I do think that younger girls will enjoy reading Bet's story. Even 150 to 200 years later, women and girls are still fighting against restraints, and every forward-thinking girl will probably find something to relate to in Bess.(less)

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Jun 20, 2010 Reading Teen rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 and Will Gardener ha...more 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 and Will Gardener have lived like brother and sister since the deaths of their parents when they were just children. Elizabeth's (Bet's) mother was just a servant in the Gardener house, but after the unfortunate deaths, Will's wealthy uncle took them both into his care and raised them almost like his own children. Even though Bet was always treated well by Will's uncle, she aways felt stuck somewhere between family and servant. There was nothing she desired more than to be able to go to school and get a proper education like Will, but she was a girl, and girls weren't allowed to go to school. And Will wasn't any happier. He was thrown out of school after school for bad behavior, when all he really wanted was to join the military, but that would break his Uncle's heart.

So Bet comes up with a plan to fulfill both of their dreams. She will enroll at the Betterman Academy as Will Gardener, and he will secretly join the military and fight in the war. Even though he is reluctaant at first, Will can't resist the draw of his dream and he tries to teach Bet all she needs to know in order to pull off the performance. But when Bet gets to school, she soon finds out that there's much more to being a boy than she ever imagined. She is bullied, teased, and picked on, and any attempt to stand up for herself is thwarted. The only one who treats her well is her roommate, the intelligent and very gorgeous, James Tyler. Getting close to James, however, is starting to present a whole new set of problems!

Review:
After reading this, I want to say things like, "This book is utterly charming!" or "The Education of Bet is perfectly lovely!" I enjoyed every moment of this book! I guess it follows a pretty predictable line, but I don't care, it was just so enchanting. Throughout the book, I kept thinking of things like "Emma" or "Shakesphere in Love" but even those who can't make it through the dredgery of an Austen novel will appreciate this book. Don't get me wrong, I love Jane Austen, but the language in her novels is difficult to navigate sometimes. I never felt that way with The Education of Bet.

Bet was an amazingly strong and determined girl, though very naive to the ways of the world. She doesn't take no for an answer and will do almost anything to achieve her dreams. She stands up for herself and her friends, even if it means losing everthing she has always wanted.

Will is humorous and caring, but at times self-centered. He's been spoiled his whole life, but he cares deeply for his uncle and for Bet, and truely desires their happiness.

James is admirable and kind, and not to mention gorgeous! He treats Bet (as Will) like a true friend, and cares deeply for their friendship. I love James! I love the way he doesn't follow the crowd, and he stands up for his friends. James is a perfect gentleman!

I really hope that you will pick up this book and read it! I highly, highly recommend it! It was utterly charming and perfectly lovely! :)

~Andye http://readingteen.net/(less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, historical, rainy-day-reads, teen-ya

At First Sight: Bet Smith has lived in a bit of a limbo for as long as she can remember, not quite family nor servant to Paul Gardener and his nephew Will - whom Bet considers a brother, since they were raised together and their birthdays are only one month apart.

After Will is expelled from yet another school, and confesses to Bet his desire to join the army, Bet takes it upon herself to hatch a plan that will allow them both to follow their dreams - Will to join the Army, and her to get a prope...more At First Sight: Bet Smith has lived in a bit of a limbo for as long as she can remember, not quite family nor servant to Paul Gardener and his nephew Will - whom Bet considers a brother, since they were raised together and their birthdays are only one month apart.

After Will is expelled from yet another school, and confesses to Bet his desire to join the army, Bet takes it upon herself to hatch a plan that will allow them both to follow their dreams - Will to join the Army, and her to get a proper education. Bet will take Will's place at school, and he will join the army.

With very high expectations, Bet arrives at the Betterman Academy... and discovers just how horrid boys really are, that school masters don't really care if the smaller boys are being terrorized by the bigger ones, and that being 'odd' is a sure way to attract unwanted attention.

The only thing Bet likes about Betterman Academy - other than the education she's receiving - is her roommate, James Tyler, who is tall and handsome, and has no qualms disrobing in front of "Will" and puts up with "Will's" strange requests for privacy. James is different than the other boys, he's kind and smart and, as said before, so handsome... to bad he honestly things Bet is a (very strange) boy.

Second Glance: I don't know what it was but I had such a wonderful time reading The Education of Bet , it sure had many of the tropes I love in a story - like the girl impersonating a boy, which is one of my all time favorites.

I liked Bet and Will instantly, loved seeing the connection between them and how they both loved Paul Gardener, the man that had taken them in after Will's parents and Bet's mom died of typhoid fever when they were four; even if they did chafe a little at the restrictions and expectations he put of them both.

I also loved James, he's exactly the kind of boy I would have totally gone for when I was 16, he's so sweet and takes everything in stride. I do wish there had been more of him, because other than the occasional show of temper, he really was just perfect and we known very little about him, really.

This is also kind of historical-lite, because it's set 'sometime' in the 1800s, there is some 'war' going on and girls aren't really allowed into schools yet. I didn't mind this. I think that by being so vague about the historical fact, the story was easier to tell and get into it.

And really, this book put me in such a good mood.

Bottom Line: The Education of Bet was just the type of book I go for, and the perfect book for the mood I found myself in. It's fun, and cute and just made me have a really good time. And I can see myself re-reading it in the future.

Favorite Quote: "I wonder if anything is ever what people dream that thing will be."(less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-to-buy, 2012-reads, historical-fiction, romance

Compared to this Author's other book, "The Twin's Daughter," this was a much better read. The writing is pleasing and even beautiful in some of its phrasing and pros, and Bet is a likable strong heroine. She manages to be a believable young man, even when she slips in her act a bit. Will was an immediate favorite; he's quiet, serious, kind, and even endeavors to help Bet when he discovers her secret. The story doesn't have much of a plot, but it's along the lines of a casual read, for when one d...more

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Dec 12, 2010 Small Review rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, boarding-school

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 than a swag...more 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 than a swaggering walk. She soon finds herself struggling to navigate the unspoken social rules of boys, but her biggest challenge arises when she realizes she has fallen in love with her roommate.

Review

Ah, I feel like a drug pusher with all of my Lauren Baratz-Logsted posts. "Hey, hey you, blogger, ya wanna read something good? Come on, I got something for you." After reading The Twin's Daughter I'm pretty sure I entered into cheerleader status. Now it's safe to say that I'm in full on fangirl mode.

I didn’t intend to finish this book so quickly. I planned on going to sleep at a perfectly reasonable time. I got in bed and thought to myself, “I’ll just read the first chapter.” Pfft, famous last words of readers everywhere! Well, one chapter turned into two, which turned into three, and then four. By the time I realized how late it had gotten I was so invested in Bet’s story that I decided to just ignore the clock and read until the end.

And what an ending! But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. I should start at the beginning. Bet captured my heart from the very first. She’s sweet and loyal with a backbone of steel. Bet saw an opportunity and she seized it, despite all the dangers and all of the arguments to the contrary. I admired her bravery, but I also adored her for her weaknesses. Bet begins the book as a terribly naïve and sheltered girl. She expects boys to behave one way, but soon realizes her assumptions were very wrong. She is charmingly stubborn at first, but eventually she learns to adapt to these realities and triumph over them.

Then there is James, Bet’s roommate. I can completely understand why Bet fell for him. He is so sweet and attentive, but also admirable in that he always stays true to himself. James early on recognizes Bet’s oddities and decides to take her under his wing to protect her from bullies. Of course James believes Bet to be Will, and so his acceptance of Bet’s strange ways is all the more noble. In this manner, we see that James is not simply nice to Bet because he finds her attractive, but rather because he is a good person.

The supporting “good” characters are beyond charming. I loved them. They sometimes seemed a little too good to believe, but that didn’t bother me one bit. They were the type of people I'd fantasize about if I were to picture a "perfect" cast with myself as the star. Loving, supporting, understanding, accepting, helpful, and fun. This was a happy book through and through, and I loved that. This is the kind of book that warms my heart, makes me smile, and earns itself a spot on the Special Shelf.

This happiness is what I liked best about The Education of Bet. The characters nestled their way into my heart. With each passing scene I felt the smile on my face growing wider and wider. I had to stifle giggles to make sure I didn’t wake anyone. Each scene was perfectly crafted in a way that was both entirely relatable (in emotion, if not in situation- though wouldn't that situation be fun?) and wholly enjoyable to read. I wasn’t expecting much from such a short book, but I am happy to say I totally underestimated Bet and her story. (less)

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Aug 09, 2010 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Laura by: Boulder Bookstore Teen Advisory Board

Shelves: 2010, advanced-copies

'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...more

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Jan 08, 2011 R rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, read-and-disliked, historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 23, 2011 Wisteriouswoman rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Bg rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 in li...more

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