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Secrets at St Jude's #1
New Girl
Gina’s mother is fed up with her staying out late, spending too much money on clothes and too much time emailing her friends. Her solution is to send Gina to Scotland, to the same boarding school she attended.
Suddenly taken from a world of malls and mobile phones, Gina is forced to find her way through games of hockey, communal meals and showers, horrible Public School boys and stuffy housemistresses. Will she ever survive?
Suddenly taken from a world of malls and mobile phones, Gina is forced to find her way through games of hockey, communal meals and showers, horrible Public School boys and stuffy housemistresses. Will she ever survive?
332 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2008
14 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Carmen Reid
68 books239 followersCarmen was born and brought up in a chilly and windy corner of Scotland in the depths of the countryside.
This may explain her lifelong phobia of cows and abiding interest in cities, department stores, books, the cinema and newspapers.
She is currently working on her eigth novel for grown-ups and her third novel for teenagers. Well, she likes to keep busy.
Carmen did once study English Literature at University College London, but, ignoring everything she’d learned, she spent most of her 20s working as a local, regional and then national newspaper reporter.
Knowing deep down that she was supposed to be an author not a journo, she left her day job to have a baby and write her first novel. (Hey, and just four sleepless, penniless years later it was published!)
Although there is a corner of her heart that will always belong to London (property developers welcome) she now lives in Glasgow, Scotland, with her husband, Thomas, and two children, Sam and Claudie, plus Jimmy the (lunatic) Jack Russell and Clive, Orangey and Gorcha, the fish.
Fortunately her hobbies are cooking, cleaning, arguing about whose turn it is to walk the dog, clean the fish tank, take out the rubbish, do the laundry... and so on.
This may explain her lifelong phobia of cows and abiding interest in cities, department stores, books, the cinema and newspapers.
She is currently working on her eigth novel for grown-ups and her third novel for teenagers. Well, she likes to keep busy.
Carmen did once study English Literature at University College London, but, ignoring everything she’d learned, she spent most of her 20s working as a local, regional and then national newspaper reporter.
Knowing deep down that she was supposed to be an author not a journo, she left her day job to have a baby and write her first novel. (Hey, and just four sleepless, penniless years later it was published!)
Although there is a corner of her heart that will always belong to London (property developers welcome) she now lives in Glasgow, Scotland, with her husband, Thomas, and two children, Sam and Claudie, plus Jimmy the (lunatic) Jack Russell and Clive, Orangey and Gorcha, the fish.
Fortunately her hobbies are cooking, cleaning, arguing about whose turn it is to walk the dog, clean the fish tank, take out the rubbish, do the laundry... and so on.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 15, 2020
A Californian girl gets shipped to Scotland to go to a boarding school! A delight to read!
I am a big big fan of boarding school books, and I know that I tired this book before, but for some reason I couldn't get for in it then. But given how I really need to be in the mood for a genre. :P My mind works funny. But this time I enjoyed this book to bits and I flew through it.
Meet Gina, a sweet girl who has done a few things too much wrong in her mother's eyes (bad grades being the biggest one of them all) and she is shipped to her mom's old school, St. Jude in Scotland. Yep, Californian girl in the middle of Scotland. Enjoy. That alone made me snicker and laugh as I could just imagine how that would go. I loved seeing those first weeks with Gina trying to figure out how and what. I was at least delighted that this girl found friends so quickly and that they bonded so easily. At first it seemed that things may go sideways, but in the end these girls just connected instantly. They were all different but still had things that matched. Gina was a sweet girl and while she does need to work on her grades and get to studying, I still found it admirable that she didn't complain too much about the situation. I was worried about that.
I loved reading about what goes on at St Jude, have Gina discover more about her mom (not only through what teachers say.. but also with a little sneaking into archive rooms), I loved them making excuses so they could meet up at the cafe, meet up with boys. I loved the pranks they did and loved their talks on the fire escape. The lessons were quite fun though oh so strict that at times I wonder if the girls there learn something... or eventually just all forget it.
I had so many laughs while reading this one and that was just what I need. My mental health is going up a bit, but still too low to be healthy. At least now I got my vacation to look forward to. Not that I am going to do anything special as I am not the kind of person (and neither is my husband) to go to all the places just because they are open. But I can't wait to just relax, I definitely need it.
There is plenty of romance as the girls fall for several cute guys that they meet on various places. Amy likes Jason, though I don't know if she should like him that much given how he is (come on, he felt up Gina, he kissed your nemesis, and so on), but OK, I guess she will find out later. And I guess that he does have a sweet side to him. Then there is Gina who likes Dermot a boy who works as a waiter at a cafe the girls frequent (but don't tell the headmistress that as she doesn't want the girls anywhere near boys or alcohol). I do hope that we get more Dermot x Gina in the next books because this is one couple I am definitely rooting for.
The only thing I wasn't a fan of was that the POV switched. I thought this one would just be about Gina, but quite soon Amy and the other girls also get some times to say their say. And it got really confusing. As we would be in the middle of Gina being the MC and then poof it was Amy and then Poof Niffy and then Poof Mimi. Sometimes I had to backtrack and make sure that I didn't miss anything.
Oh, and can we please please, just stop with the mean girls please? It is just so stupid that each of these books about boarding school have a mean girl pop up. I am just rolling my eyes after so many of these stories now.
But all in all, I had so much fun reading this book and I loved it to bits. There is romance, humour, tons of sneaky pranks, and more. I definitely am going to read the rest of the series.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I am a big big fan of boarding school books, and I know that I tired this book before, but for some reason I couldn't get for in it then. But given how I really need to be in the mood for a genre. :P My mind works funny. But this time I enjoyed this book to bits and I flew through it.
Meet Gina, a sweet girl who has done a few things too much wrong in her mother's eyes (bad grades being the biggest one of them all) and she is shipped to her mom's old school, St. Jude in Scotland. Yep, Californian girl in the middle of Scotland. Enjoy. That alone made me snicker and laugh as I could just imagine how that would go. I loved seeing those first weeks with Gina trying to figure out how and what. I was at least delighted that this girl found friends so quickly and that they bonded so easily. At first it seemed that things may go sideways, but in the end these girls just connected instantly. They were all different but still had things that matched. Gina was a sweet girl and while she does need to work on her grades and get to studying, I still found it admirable that she didn't complain too much about the situation. I was worried about that.
I loved reading about what goes on at St Jude, have Gina discover more about her mom (not only through what teachers say.. but also with a little sneaking into archive rooms), I loved them making excuses so they could meet up at the cafe, meet up with boys. I loved the pranks they did and loved their talks on the fire escape. The lessons were quite fun though oh so strict that at times I wonder if the girls there learn something... or eventually just all forget it.
I had so many laughs while reading this one and that was just what I need. My mental health is going up a bit, but still too low to be healthy. At least now I got my vacation to look forward to. Not that I am going to do anything special as I am not the kind of person (and neither is my husband) to go to all the places just because they are open. But I can't wait to just relax, I definitely need it.
There is plenty of romance as the girls fall for several cute guys that they meet on various places. Amy likes Jason, though I don't know if she should like him that much given how he is (come on, he felt up Gina, he kissed your nemesis, and so on), but OK, I guess she will find out later. And I guess that he does have a sweet side to him. Then there is Gina who likes Dermot a boy who works as a waiter at a cafe the girls frequent (but don't tell the headmistress that as she doesn't want the girls anywhere near boys or alcohol). I do hope that we get more Dermot x Gina in the next books because this is one couple I am definitely rooting for.
The only thing I wasn't a fan of was that the POV switched. I thought this one would just be about Gina, but quite soon Amy and the other girls also get some times to say their say. And it got really confusing. As we would be in the middle of Gina being the MC and then poof it was Amy and then Poof Niffy and then Poof Mimi. Sometimes I had to backtrack and make sure that I didn't miss anything.
Oh, and can we please please, just stop with the mean girls please? It is just so stupid that each of these books about boarding school have a mean girl pop up. I am just rolling my eyes after so many of these stories now.
But all in all, I had so much fun reading this book and I loved it to bits. There is romance, humour, tons of sneaky pranks, and more. I definitely am going to read the rest of the series.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
February 7, 2017
Potřebovala jsem totálně vypnout. Splnilo se. Hezká série, možná někdy pokoupím i další díly. :) Taková typická holčičí série o skupince holek na internátní škole pro holky. A jelikož mám moc ráda film Wildchild, tak se mi to líbilo. Škoda, že nejsem mladší, to bych byla úplně nadšená!
March 4, 2013
I like this book, and would truly recommend it to all the girls who have interest in all sorts of girly stuff. I was hooked by this book, right from the start of the first page till the last one. I like how you follow her in her school life, and see how she is changing throughout, and getting to know the girls at the school. This book is probably one of my favorite books so far.
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December 12, 2023i was so sure this was a fever dream
November 3, 2010
was fabulos love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 15, 2011
Easy, light girly read.
Read
June 22, 2012Great book! I love it.
August 29, 2012
This is an amazing insight into teenage life and is highly reccomended to anyone aged 12-15 xx
August 25, 2017
Well, that was...not actually worse than I'd expected, but not better, either. I'm not sure the book has quite decided what it wants to be—rich-girl wish-fulfillment, or traditional low-frills boarding-school narrative? Innocent romance in which a kiss is a big deal, or raunchy tale? Is it Gina's story, or Amy's, or everyone's? Who even knows. There's a girl dealing with being a spoiled brat, a girl coming to terms with her father's love life, a girl who faints at the sight of blood but whose parents want her to be a doctor, a girl whose family is struggling financially, an evil-villain-is-evil girl, a whole bunch of exceptionally juvenile pranks that these fifteen-year-olds play, a bunch of also exceptionally juvenile teenage boys...every time the slightest bit of tension is introduced, it's abandoned in favour of some other slight bit of tension.
Aside from there being way too much going on, I couldn't stand the tone. I think it's meant to be light and funny, but we have snarky comments about eating disorders; slut-shaming a girl while also insinuating, derisively, that's she's making everything up; one character blaming herself when a boy drags her into a room and kisses her against her protests (nobody seems to think this is problematic); a different boy climbs into a different girl's bed and feels her up (nobody seems to think this is problematic either...except a third girl, who gets mad because she has a crush on this asshole boy); and on it goes.
The one interesting thing is that Reid is willing to make the girls obviously try-hard. Take this: Amy had wound a thick pink and silver scarf around her neck and applied too much blue eye shadow. Gina had overdone the bronzing powder and had picked a buttercup-yellow top, which would have worked in sunny California but was too strident for the cool grey of England. (90) This is said from an omniscient-narrator perspective, so it's not one girl being snarky about another...it's a couple of fifteen-year-olds who think they're the Coolest Things Ever but are really, well, a bit try-hard. I wish that was something Reid had tried to maintain, rather than bouncing around from abandoned plot point to abandoned plot point.
Aside from there being way too much going on, I couldn't stand the tone. I think it's meant to be light and funny, but we have snarky comments about eating disorders; slut-shaming a girl while also insinuating, derisively, that's she's making everything up; one character blaming herself when a boy drags her into a room and kisses her against her protests (nobody seems to think this is problematic); a different boy climbs into a different girl's bed and feels her up (nobody seems to think this is problematic either...except a third girl, who gets mad because she has a crush on this asshole boy); and on it goes.
The one interesting thing is that Reid is willing to make the girls obviously try-hard. Take this: Amy had wound a thick pink and silver scarf around her neck and applied too much blue eye shadow. Gina had overdone the bronzing powder and had picked a buttercup-yellow top, which would have worked in sunny California but was too strident for the cool grey of England. (90) This is said from an omniscient-narrator perspective, so it's not one girl being snarky about another...it's a couple of fifteen-year-olds who think they're the Coolest Things Ever but are really, well, a bit try-hard. I wish that was something Reid had tried to maintain, rather than bouncing around from abandoned plot point to abandoned plot point.
August 27, 2018
internaatkooliraamatud on muidugi selline üsna... sirgjooneline žanr, meeldib või ei meeldi. mulle meeldib, olen isegi väikestviisi ekspert sel alal. ja eksperdi hinnang on: see raamat siin on omas kategoorias täitsa hea!
valem on sada aastat vana ja hästi läbiproovitud: hellitatud (siinkohal ameerika) preili saadetakse briti (siinkohal lausa šoti) tütarlaste internaatkooli, et teda veidi taltsutada ja talle õpetada elu põhiväärtusi nagu lojaalsus, õppeedukus ja obskuursed meeskonnamängud (maahoki!). alguses on raske, siis hakkab meeldima. ilmnevad ootamatud talendid, luuakse eluaegseid sõprussidemeid, pannakse paika ülbest bitchist klassikaaslane ja võidetakse möödaminnes ka majakarikas.
"New Girl" suudab selle kõik üsna veenvalt esitada 21. sajandi versioonis - lisanduvad ka poisid (ma olen suht kindel, et ainus kontekst, kus Enid Blyton oma raamatutes iial mõnd poissi mainis, oli, kui tuli selgitada, miks mõni tüdruk oli teistest ulakam - tal oli kodus vend või mitu. aga kõik ta tüdruktegelased suutsid veeta eluaastad 11-17 ilma kordagi meessoo peale mõtlematagi. see-eest olid nad head rohkemates obskuursetes meeskonnamängudes - lacrosse!), mobiiltelefonid, piimakohvid ja California IT-tööstuses rikkaks saanud vanemad.
igal tähtsamal tegelasel on oma väike saladus (nagu viitab ka sarja nimi), enamus neist üsna läbipaistvad algusest peale, aga paar üllatust viskas ikka sisse minu jaoks ka. ülemäära sentimentaalseks ei mindud, leidus paar kõva häälega itsitamise kohta ja lõpp jäi kenasti lahti järgmiste osade jaoks. usun, et see võib täitsa Blytoni-vääriline saaga tulla; jooksujalu just järgmise osa järele ei lähe, aga kui raamatukogus või odavpoes näppu jääb, plaanin kindlasti veel lugeda.
valem on sada aastat vana ja hästi läbiproovitud: hellitatud (siinkohal ameerika) preili saadetakse briti (siinkohal lausa šoti) tütarlaste internaatkooli, et teda veidi taltsutada ja talle õpetada elu põhiväärtusi nagu lojaalsus, õppeedukus ja obskuursed meeskonnamängud (maahoki!). alguses on raske, siis hakkab meeldima. ilmnevad ootamatud talendid, luuakse eluaegseid sõprussidemeid, pannakse paika ülbest bitchist klassikaaslane ja võidetakse möödaminnes ka majakarikas.
"New Girl" suudab selle kõik üsna veenvalt esitada 21. sajandi versioonis - lisanduvad ka poisid (ma olen suht kindel, et ainus kontekst, kus Enid Blyton oma raamatutes iial mõnd poissi mainis, oli, kui tuli selgitada, miks mõni tüdruk oli teistest ulakam - tal oli kodus vend või mitu. aga kõik ta tüdruktegelased suutsid veeta eluaastad 11-17 ilma kordagi meessoo peale mõtlematagi. see-eest olid nad head rohkemates obskuursetes meeskonnamängudes - lacrosse!), mobiiltelefonid, piimakohvid ja California IT-tööstuses rikkaks saanud vanemad.
igal tähtsamal tegelasel on oma väike saladus (nagu viitab ka sarja nimi), enamus neist üsna läbipaistvad algusest peale, aga paar üllatust viskas ikka sisse minu jaoks ka. ülemäära sentimentaalseks ei mindud, leidus paar kõva häälega itsitamise kohta ja lõpp jäi kenasti lahti järgmiste osade jaoks. usun, et see võib täitsa Blytoni-vääriline saaga tulla; jooksujalu just järgmise osa järele ei lähe, aga kui raamatukogus või odavpoes näppu jääb, plaanin kindlasti veel lugeda.
October 7, 2021
Este libro ha sido de lo mas adictivo, me daba hasta miedo cogerlo porque ya no podia parar y tenia cosas de la universidad 😥 lo cual tambien fue bueno, ya que se lee rapido y es super ligero, me ha encantado y ya quiero ponerme con la segunda parte!
March 25, 2021
It's definitely not the worst high schooler life book I've ever read. Much more eventful than most others
December 20, 2022
Enjoyed it thoroughly
December 4, 2024
Super entretenido, me gustó. Si viste y te encantó la peli de Poppy te recomiendo este libro.
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October 25, 2011"Horror: la madre de Gina, cansada de su mal comportamiento, ha decidido enviarla a un internado en Escocia hasta que sus notas mejoren. Pero ¿cómo va a ocurrir eso? Las clases allí son mucho más difíciles, llueve todo el día, la comida está asquerosa, el internado más bien parece una cárcel… ¡si ni siquiera les dejan usar el móvil! Al menos las chicas de su habitación son bastante simpáticas y se llevan con los chicos del St. Lennox. Como ves, el argumento no es el colmo de la originalidad. Durante las primeras cincuenta páginas es posible que sientas una especie de déjà vu (¡esta historia ya la he leído antes!) pero, una vez presentados todos los personajes, la trama se vuelve interesante y deja de resultar tan hollywoodiense. Las otras chicas del internado (Niffy, Min y Amy) cobran protagonismo, lo cual permite que la historia de Gina sea más verosímil. El internado escocés está retratado con mucho realismo: Gina viene de California y St. Jude’s le parece gris, viejo y cutre, y piensa que sus compañeras tienen costumbres un tanto extrañas. La autora, Carmen Reid, nos presenta una trama muy bien pensada y unos personajes entrañables. ---> Sigue leyendo en http://www.eltemplodelasmilpuertas.com"
May 21, 2015
Aunque nunca será un clásico de la literatura, el libro me ha gustado. La historia me ha parecido relativamente original y los personajes aceptables. La protagonista es, al principio, una pija insoportable de California pero que cambia después de convivir durante un trimestre con compañeras de Edimburgo (Escocia). Se convierte en una persona más madura y se da cuenta que no hace falta vestir de marca para ser "persona". Reseña completa en: http://gacetadelocio.blogspot.com.es/...
August 12, 2015
I was looking for some girly light reading and I came across this one on my ebookshelves.
I enjoyed and couldn't put down this book. Fast-paced and portrayed early teenage life.
I liked the boarding life, hanging outs, and the pranks. I think I am gonna read the second book of the series too.
p.s It somehow reminded me of some movie that Emma Roberts starred.
I enjoyed and couldn't put down this book. Fast-paced and portrayed early teenage life.
I liked the boarding life, hanging outs, and the pranks. I think I am gonna read the second book of the series too.
p.s It somehow reminded me of some movie that Emma Roberts starred.
November 10, 2013
Este libro se me hizo muy parecido a una pelicula que me gusta de Emma Roberts: "diva adolescente", por l que fue mas fácil que me gustara ya atrapara. Este es un libro bastante divertido y rápido de leer, justo lo que buscaba yo, aunque estoy segura que no es para todo el mundo, pues puede llegar a ser un poco molesto y muy cliché.
November 28, 2014
A great read for young teenagers and a good starting point for young readers, the whole collection is great and fun. This collection may even make you want to go to boarding school! Teenagers, boys and gossip, what's not to love?
June 1, 2015
Entretenido, juvenil, y con situaciones muy divertidas. Vemos una evolución clarisima de las protagonistas ya que al principio parecen las tipicas ricas repelentes y van madurando poco a poco a lo largo de libro. Sin duda leeré el segundo.
March 4, 2009
Interesting
March 3, 2011
as i read this book looong back....i can only say it was pretty good...
September 27, 2011
Un libro normalito, nada fuera de lo común, con lo único destacable que se lee rápido.
May 6, 2013
quite entertaining...malory towers for a new generation
October 27, 2013
nada mal, bastante divertido! Gina y compañia hacen cada travesura
October 28, 2013
Que libro más detestable.
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April 6, 2015Easy light read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews