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The Secret of Dinswood

Ellen Alexander

3.52 · Rating details · 31 ratings · 26 reviews

Desperate to get away from a home where she no longer feels wanted, twelve-year-old Emma Higsby is elated when she wins a scholarship to the prestigious Dinswood Academy boarding school.

Emma quickly falls in love with the renovated castle nestled in the heart of the mountains. But when rumors surface that her new school is having financial problems and may have to close, ...more

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Hardcover, 408 pages

Expected publication: February 26th 2019 by BHC Press/H2O

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3.52 ·

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· 31 ratings · 26 reviews

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Feb 15, 2019 Evelina | AvalinahsBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-or-review-copies, books-of-2019, childrens-tbr, fiction, middle-grade, owned-ebooks-read

Oh, how I loved this wonderful adventure! The Secret of Dinswood is just the kind of book I wish I had read more of when I was actually in my middle grade years. There's just something empowering about a bunch of kids solving mysteries and riddles, and potentially getting themselves in trouble, skulking around dark caves and castle hallways! Even aside from that, there's the whole allure of kids in a boarding school, especially one in a castle!

The Secret of Dinswood is somewhere in between of ...more

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Jan 13, 2019 Amber rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-reviews

I received a complimentary of this eBook from the author, publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Emma, Doug and friends find out that their boarding school is home to a treasure under the school with a riddle placed there by a famous pirate that recently used to live in the castle but died and gave the castle over to be made in the school, they go try to find it. Is someone else seeking it too? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good action-packed adventur ...more

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Jan 21, 2019 Max rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley

I loved this book! It's written with teenagers in mind, but I enjoyed it as an adult woman. This is a nice adventure story with mysteries. The start reminded me a little of Harry Potter, but without the magic. A few chapters in the story gets less HP-like and more into it's own style. I found some parts actually exciting, even though it wasn't very realistic. The parts describing the castle were very livid and I could imagine myself seeing it. Not too young-adult so no obvious romance was in thi ...more

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Feb 04, 2019 *Stani* rated it it was ok

It was too juvenile for me. And believe me, I love a good middle grade read. Sadly, this wasn't it.

The writing was all telling and no showing - too much backstory and too much over-explanation for and about everything.

To me, it felt like a slight rip-off of Harry Potter, but that is just my feeling. From the exact replica of Hogwarts and Hogsmead to teachers.

The dialogue was silly and I didn't care for any of the characters, the least bit about the main character, Emma.

To me, this was a pale ...more

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Jan 15, 2019 Tara rated it really liked it

A great fun read about making friends and adventure. This is really enjoyable and easy paced. The characters are really relatable (even though I’m no longer a teenager) it’s aimed more at the early teen market and I feel would be a great read for them, although I’m older I still enjoyed it, but a younger reader would have more in common with the books. Lovely feel good factor. Really enjoyable.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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Feb 06, 2019 Katie rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, school, netgalley-reviewed

This is a fun, middle grade adventure novel set in a castle boarding school. Fans of Harry Potter who like the aspects of adventure with a group of friends in a boarding school location should enjoy this. There is no magical element to the adventures and most of the action happens toward the end of the book. The boarding school is a Christian school but the author is not heavy-handed with the religion. The book models positive values like patience, persistence, and being there for others. I woul ...more

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Feb 03, 2019 Stephanie Roxane rated it liked it

* I received this book from Netgalley and BHC Press in exchange for an honest review*

3/5 stars

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was fun watching the kids work out the riddles, and there were several small moments of suspense which were good.

The writing was a bit hard for me to get into though. At times it felt almost too simplistic for a book marketed as Middle grade and YA, and at other times it felt too over the top. There were times when we’d get paragraphs upon paragraphs of description on ...more

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Feb 11, 2019 Ilona rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars, read-and-reviewed

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of The Secret of Dinswood by Ellen Alexander. I voluntarily read and reviewed this copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While studying at the Dinswood boarding school, four teenagers become friends and discover that a treasure hidden by the school's founder could be what they need to save their school from financial troubles. In order to find the treasure they must solve all the riddles before someone else does.

The Secret of Dinswood is ...more

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Jan 24, 2019 Julieanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

The Secret of Dinswood is a fantastic story that blends just the right amount of whimsical mystery with a believable world centered around the primary character Emma and her friends at Dinswood Academy.

If you are a fan of history-based mysteries and youths on the trail of the truth, I highly recommend this book. Not only is the dialogue organic and real, the descriptions of surrounding make it easy to paint the picture in your mind of what the scene looks like.

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Jan 23, 2019 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs

This book surprised me slightly by reminding me quite a bit of the classic Nancy Drew books. While I liked this to an extent, it also means this book had similar issues, mainly the cliffhangers that turn out to result in nothing. I also wasn’t a fan of the unnecessary descriptive paragraphs describing various holidays at Dinswood, as they ended up not adding anything to the story or the experience of the book. Rather than adding to the wonder if the school, the descriptions just took up space an ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Sarah Peters rated it did not like it

Shelves: books-for-children-read, netgalley-read

Update: After posting this review, I checked out the publisher. They call themselves a hybrid publisher meaning the author pays a portion of the production costs. This explains how this book even made it to the release stage. It's essentially self-published.

I got 61% through this book and just couldn’t finish it. I don’t like giving bad reviews, but I’m compelled to since I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.There were so many things wrong, not the least of which was a storylin Update: After posting this review, I checked out the publisher. They call themselves a hybrid publisher meaning the author pays a portion of the production costs. This explains how this book even made it to the release stage. It's essentially self-published.

I got 61% through this book and just couldn’t finish it. I don’t like giving bad reviews, but I’m compelled to since I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.There were so many things wrong, not the least of which was a storyline that wasn’t the slightest bit original or compelling, (It borrowed heavily from Harry Potter…without the magic…and Nancy Drew.) Generally, I begin my reviews with a brief synopsis, but I’m not going to bother in this case.

First and foremost, it was way too long, not because it was packed with action, adventure and intrigue, but because it was descriptive to an extreme. There was one scene where the author spent one long paragraph describing every food on the buffet table. There was also some strange compulsion to describe almost every outfit the female characters wore (including teachers). All of this verbiage bogged down what little story there was. Where was the editor?

Second, it was very hard to pin down time and place. Based on the prologue about a pirate who decides to quit the business, make up an aristocratic title (not likely given the insularity of the British peerage), marry well and build a castle in a new country as a family home, it would make sense that it would be somewhere in Europe since there was no America in Tudor times. However, much of the dialogue and description was infused with American colloquialisms and read more like the 1950s or 60s than modern-day teens. Also, the school didn’t even have internet access or athletics, but mentioned that their students were formerly soccer and basketball players and gymnasts. What parent is going to spend an exorbitant amount of money to send their child to a school lacking the basics of a well-rounded education? Of course, most named characters were either children of Board members or scholarship students.

I could go on and on given all the notes I made while working my way to about page 250 (of over the 400), but I’ll wrap this review up by saying that, although marketed as a YA book, it would be more appropriate for ages 9-12. However, as a school librarian, I don’t imagine that my students would stick with it to the end anymore than I could. I question whether this series will stand a chance given this first installment.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from BHC Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ...more

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Feb 11, 2019 Rachel rated it it was ok

**I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley**

I would rate this book somewhere around 2 1/2 stars. It's not poorly written, it's just not all that interesting or original.

If a non-magical Harry Potter and Goonies had a baby it would look something like this book - but it wouldn't quite live up to the legacy of its parents. I think the biggest problem with this book is that it was somewhat difficult to care about whether or not the characters succeed. In this day and age it is hard to **I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley**

I would rate this book somewhere around 2 1/2 stars. It's not poorly written, it's just not all that interesting or original.

If a non-magical Harry Potter and Goonies had a baby it would look something like this book - but it wouldn't quite live up to the legacy of its parents. I think the biggest problem with this book is that it was somewhat difficult to care about whether or not the characters succeed. In this day and age it is hard to feel bad that a (pretentious) school which caters to rich kids might have to close - and readers are expected to believe that in the modern era this school operates with no computers or education-based technology? That's a stretch. Also, is the board of directors made up entirely of the parents of current students? Another point against it.

The four main characters aren't overly interesting either. Emma's father and stepmother are presented as so awful they lose some credibility as realistic characters. The entire part of the story involving the school dance was little more than filler, made very little sense, and did nothing to move the plot forward. It also seemed as though the author wasn't sure what she wanted Clarice to be as a character - the way she's presented throughout much of the novel doesn't fit with her part in the treasure hunt. The big bad bully of the story is a cliche and the fact that this school was made for someone like him makes you care about it staying open even less. I don't want to include any spoilers here, but the way in which an adult uses the children for his own amusement (under the guise of having them prove there are students worth keeping the school open for) is troubling.

This is the first book in a series, but I'm not sure there is enough to sustain it through multiple books.

A note on the covers - the front cover looks like a Disney theme park castle and the picture on the first page looks like Hogswart. It would have been better to have an artist create something original to prevent comparisons to other works. ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Luxe rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my thoughts in any way.

The book in a few words: Boarding school. Pirate treasure. Mysterious hunt. Beautiful friendships. If that does not intrigue you at least a tiny bit, then I'm not sure this book's for you.

The Secret of Dinswood follows a group of students from Dinswood Academy in their quest to save their school from financial troubles by hunting for Lord Dinswood's hidden t I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my thoughts in any way.

The book in a few words: Boarding school. Pirate treasure. Mysterious hunt. Beautiful friendships. If that does not intrigue you at least a tiny bit, then I'm not sure this book's for you.

The Secret of Dinswood follows a group of students from Dinswood Academy in their quest to save their school from financial troubles by hunting for Lord Dinswood's hidden treasure. For a school that's been struggling financially, Dinswood Academy is so freaking extravagant! This is exactly the kind of school I would've dreamed of attending during my childhood.

Emma and her friends only went on this hunt to save their school from crippling financial troubles. They go on and on about how they must save the school because it means everything to them despite only being there for, what, a few months? Granted, they did meet their best friends there but is going to separate schools really that awful to risk their lives on the hunt?

The main character here is so well-developed; I love her so much! At the start of the book, I could really feel Emma's insecurities and anxiousness of being out of place in Dinswood Academy. Since it's a prestigious boarding school, only accepting the richest of the rich, Emma could only afford to go there because of her scholarship. Despite the best efforts of her friends, she can't deny that sometimes, she feel alienated among the wealthy crowd of students. I absolutely sympathize for her because I, personally, know that feeling which made me love and understand her better.

With that, I'd like to mention that Martha, Emma's best friend, is the epitome of a great friend. She has always been there for Emma from the beginning, and she has never let the superficial things like financial status get in the way of their friendship. However, although Martha has been a wonderful buddy to Emma, she hasn't been much help in the treasure hunt and frankly, she's a bit repetitive too. In another time, and in another story, I really would have loved her more.

The pacing was a bit slow at first, which allowed readers to fully get to know the main characters and get accustomed to the school. Unfortunately, I think the book could have done with a little bit of a faster pace in terms of the mystery since they only discovered a substantial piece of clue at around 72% of the book, and they were still clueless up to that point.

This is a great book and I would really recommend it if you don't mind a slower pace in mystery and if you love stories in boarding schools as much as I do! ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Jen rated it liked it

A group of young students strive to save their school from financial ruin by attempting to solve a series of riddles to find hidden treasure in Ellen Alexander's The Secret of Dinswood.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

After working hard to earn a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school located in a castle, twelve year old Emma is excited to leave her less-than-desirable home life, where she feels unwelcome, to head to Dinswood A A group of young students strive to save their school from financial ruin by attempting to solve a series of riddles to find hidden treasure in Ellen Alexander's The Secret of Dinswood.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

After working hard to earn a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school located in a castle, twelve year old Emma is excited to leave her less-than-desirable home life, where she feels unwelcome, to head to Dinswood Academy. Becoming accustomed to the new routines and rules of the school, Emma enjoys her surroundings, time learning, and making some new, close friends. When she and her friends learn that the school might be facing financial troubles that would cause it to close, they try to find a way to prevent that from happening. The rumored treasure of the eccentric Lord Dinswood would certainly help keep the school open, but there are riddles keeping the treasure hidden; solving them will require the skills of each of Emma's friends, some quick thinking, and bravery aplenty if they want to earn the treasure and save their school.

Reminiscent of The Goonies and Harry Potter, the story of the students' adventure to solve the mystery of the hidden treasure to save Dinswood is familiar yet entertaining all the same. There was plentiful description throughout the narrative that seemed an effort to demonstrate a touch of writing mastery; however, some of the details provided for nonessential events and locations could have been pruned back to keep the story from being too bogged down with extraneous information, thus lengthening the novel unnecessarily and slowing the momentum of the narrative. There was quite a bit of overt moralizing through the thoughts and actions of the characters that I found to be a bit much, which pulled me out of the story, but as a middle grade novel a basic level of lesson teaching is expected as an edifying element, and it might not feel as overt to younger readers. Though much of the story is virtually timeless, I was still a bit confused about when this story is meant to be taking place as there were contemporary technologies and activities mentioned, such as computers and video games, but the language used for the children's dialogue was more evocative of something more stereotypical of the 1950s, creating a feeling of anachronism.
...more

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Jan 11, 2019 Debbie rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, middle-grade

This book is a middle grade adventure novel. The four main characters (2 boys and 2 girls) were 12 years old. Most of the book was a typical boarding school story: making new friends, learning their way around the school, special events like a dance and athletic competitions, and a little bit of romance. They learn about both the school's need for funds and the hidden treasure near the beginning of the story, but little progress was made after an initial failed attempt to solve the clues. The la ...more

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Oct 28, 2018 Catherine rated it really liked it

I was given a free digital copy of this book from Library Thing in exchange for a review.

I thought this book was fun and suspenseful. There were a few parts that dragged a little bit for me, but I'm guessing the intended audience is more YA. I would have absolutely loved this book as a teenager. As an adult I have a lot more reading experience, so I'm used to a different pace.

This book reminded me a little bit of Harry Potter only because of the setting. It's set in a school in a remote area, l ...more

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Oct 08, 2018 J. rated it really liked it

3 1/2 stars. This a fun, clean middle grade adventure. It could use a little editing of some long descriptive passages and nonessential events (for example, a description of decorating the castle for Christmas could have been much shorter)- I skimmed through quite a few that didn't really add to the book. Never the less, it kept me reading to the end and I think some kids will enjoy it. It had a bit of a Harry Potter meets Goonies feel, minus magic and vulgarity. The whole mystery was a bit cont ...more

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Nov 16, 2018 Rinku Geeyo rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It led to nostalgia - as it had elements similar to the cool books I had read during my school days, and which were reasons I got hooked to the habit of reading.
The clue hunt was exciting...I loved the way the clues were revealed to Emma and her friends and the way they figured those out...... I loved that the clue hunt was not skimmed over.......the time it took them to decipher each clue made it realistic. (Some "Treasure Hunters" books I had recently read had n ...more

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Jan 31, 2019 Jelke Lenaerts rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-releases, galleys-from-netgalley

I RECEIVED A GALLEY OF THIS THROUGH NETGALLEY

This book reminded me of so many things I loved as a kid, which made it so much fun for me to read. I loved the setting of the castle and the history behind it all. I also loved the mystery. It was so much fun. I also really liked the characters and their friendship. I didn't like the romance that was included i this, though. It's very low-key but I would have preffered it if it wasn't in there at all. It was a fun time and I would highly recommend th ...more

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Jan 22, 2019 Sandy rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-intrigue, suspense, ya-novel

This rollicking story for middle grades was full of excitement and suspense. The theme was an enjoyable reflection of the stories I read at that age: boarding school and treasure hunts to save the day. The characters were suitably developed but there was too much extraneous description: needed to heed the advice from Stephen King [On Writing, 2001], "tell the story; if it doesn't move the story along, cut it out". (3 stars)

My e-book copy was awarded from BHC press in exchange for an unbiased rev ...more

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Feb 02, 2019 Neonila rated it liked it

This was such a fun read! A group of boarding school kids trying to solve riddles and mysteries is always something I find entertaining. I feel like if you enjoy mystery with tons of fun, a good cast of characters and school setting then this will definitely be a hit for you.

Even though I enjoyed this book, I can't say that I loved it. Nothing was wrong with it per se, but I guess I just wanted something more in order to fully love this story.

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Jan 28, 2019 Stephanie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was such a fun book! I loved reading about all the adventures of every day life at Dinswood, and of course the hunt for the treasure. Some parts were very repetitive, but it was still an enjoyable read. I hope to read more about the gangs future years at Dinswood.

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Feb 13, 2019 Elle rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, mystery

*** I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ***

3 1/2 stars. A solid middle grade read perfect for those looking for a light-hearted treasure hunt with a bit of suspense. Good characters with a plot that moves well. Needs a little tightening in the prose, but overall a good read. Feels like a mix of Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, and a little Goonies.

For full review: The Secret of Dinswood on EPJ

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Aaebischer rated it liked it
Jan 08, 2019

Bri rated it it was amazing
Jan 24, 2019

Sue Hauck rated it it was amazing
Jan 24, 2019

Feb 03, 2019 Swathi Ashok Kumar rated it really liked it

I wasn’t a fan of the unnecessary descriptive paragraphs describing various holidays at Dinswood, as they ended up not adding anything to the story or the experience of the book. Rather than adding to the wonder if the school, the descriptions just took up space and took me out of the story. The kids solving the riddles was fun to read and see it come alive. However, it did have a Nancy Drew feel to it but was not upto that mark. All in all. it is a nice book but not a special read.

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Kat rated it it was amazing
Feb 05, 2019

Feb 17, 2019 Melissa rated it liked it

Overall I enjoyed this book, although it took me a while to really get into it. The storyline was great: piracy, mystery, adventure, friendship, and a little young love. Where it lacked was in actual writing. Sometimes it seemed a little too simplistic, and I also felt like it spent too much time going into detail about things that really didn’t matter, such as exactly where the friends went at all moments of a given day.

Despite that, the storyline won me over, and I really hope that there will ...more

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