I guess the reason that this book and I didn't quite gel was because its setting is too ambiguous.
Having tried to write ambiguously-located stories before, I was always tornm by either how difficult they were (if I was in one of my I-could-be-the-next-Marian-Keyes moods) or how wonderfully easy it was (if I was indulging my fantasy-worlds-where-sparks-really-do-come-out-of-your-fingers-if-you-say-the-right-words side).
But with this book it just didn't work for me. I guess that's because I found it just as difficult to believe in a 'real' place that could have been anywhere in the UK or Australia or America (although I'd lean towards Aus from the content) when it was someone else writing as I do when it's me doing the creation.
Sorry.
Other than that little quibble, it was kind of like a Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, but from the view of the girls once their inspirational teacher had left them to their own devices, which is quite intriguing and not a little heart-breaking in some parts.

I got this book from my bookclub, who were hyping it up something rotten - but because I didn't appreciate it quite as much as they would've wanted, I'm passing it on to tangledthreads as a didn't-live-up-to-the-hype trade.

Received from minx2012 today as part of a books-that-didn't-live-up-to-their-hype trade - thanks for passing it on! Not my usual kind of thing but will definitely give it a go!

I only read about a third of this book before giving up. I wanted to give it a fair go, as it is not something I would normally read; but I really couldn't relate to any of the characters. The teenagers were all people I would have gone out of my way to avoid when I was the same age and the adults were unappealing. I was also irritated by the 'ambiguous' location/setting of the story, which seemed an unnecessary device - I mean, who cares? Maybe if I'd liked the characters more I wouldn't have noticed it as much. Like minx2012, I erred towards Australia from the phrasing/slang/names etc - but presumably the point is that it doesn't relate to one place specifically, in which case, it was unsuccessful.

I'm planning a few RABCKs for my bookcrossing anniversary in a couple of months, and this book is on the wishlist of one of my 'lucky' recipients, so hopefully it will find a more appreciative home soon...

This is a special RABCK to commemorate my first year of bookcrossing (a little bit early, as I am staggering to avoid mammoth postal costs in one week!) – thankyou for helping to make it a good one! If the book isn’t one that appeals to you personally or is one you have already read, please do me the favour of releasing it into the wild, or using it to introduce a new bookcrosser into the fold (!), or RABCK to another bookcrosser...

Thank you Tangledthreads for this RABCK and congratulations on your first anniversary as a BookCrosser.

RELEASE NOTES:

I did not find this too bad [or good for that matter] but it passed the time!!! I have not much to add about the novel that hasn't already been said but I do think that the book might be set in New Zealand rather than Australia.