Schooling

Based on some message boards I've read and reviews I've seen, Heather McGowan's Schooling seems to divide readers pretty evenly into those who really enjoyed it or those who really loathed it. Much of the writing slips in and out of various styles, sometimes stream of consciousness, sometimes like a screenplay. The effect can be maddening and it is definitely not an easy read. However, for the open minded reader, it can be a very satisfying reading experience. Strict realists will struggle with whether or not the events being described are really happening as they are being described, but one willing to take the ride McGowan offers will ultimately be rewarded with a fairly clear story arc.

Schooling is about young Catrine Evans, a young American girl who's father enrolls her in the English boarding school he attended after her mother dies. You get the sense that he loves her but just doesn't know what to do with her; boarding school allows him to care for her without having to look after her. Catrine's assimilation is difficult to say the least, and her relationship with some of her classmates and especially with one of her instructors forms the centerpiece of the novel's plot.

I felt like McGowan did a good job of capturing the bizarre ways a thirteen year old's mind works. The disjointed nature of the narrative is a good representation of the chaos of the early teen years and the extremes in emotion and temperament most teens deal with. I was able to hang with the plot, although there were a few times I felt a little lost. As long as I kept going, eventually all was made clear. I'm glad I read this book. It is a perfect example of why I like the list. This is definitely one I never would have picked up on my own.