Review by Hadley, teen reviewer
Lessons I Never Learned at Meadowbrook Academy by Liz Maccie
Roberta Romano is not as excited as a girl should be when her family gives her the opportunity to take a step up from her two-star public high school to the prestigious Meadowbrook Academy. Despite the fact that she did not have the bet experience at West Orange High, she is adamant she stays, though her reasons are not incredibly turnabout-invoking. Her mother reinforces the idea that this change will get her away from bad influences and help her get her grades back up.
The truth is, Roberta knows that Meadowbrook is a school for rich kids. Her family struggles to get by every day, and she believes that she does not belong at a school like this. Insecure about her family’s money situation, and urged on by her relentless mother, she finds herself at the steps of the academy. Roberta’s first day of sophomore year is told in less than 200 pages. Over the course of the day, she finds herself in plenty of sticky situations with potential new friends and school staff members. She finds herself in deep with a cute boy in her grade named Thaddeus, but due to choice events, she learns that she should spend her time with friends that count: two other fellow awkward kids named Mervin and Annie. Together, the three of them have their fair share of cringeworthy moments, but learn a valuable lesson in friendship.
This book is hard to explain, given it takes place over the course of one day, twelve hours at most, and any little detail could give away the whole story. Overall, I found this book to be good, but not necessarily great. The story does not grab your attention and hold it for very long. The idea of switching schools itself is quite overused, so I was waiting for something to make this story one-of-a-kind. There is a big buildup for an event we know is coming, and in the end, I did not find it to be completely satisfying. The story revolves around the anticipation of this one particular moment, and when I got there, I didn’t see the fireworks.
However, Lessons manages to redeem itself with the lesson it gives on friendship. Roberta dreads facing the students of the academy, for fear of financial inferiority leading to social difficulties. Fortunately, she manages to snatch two good friends who seem to be on her same wavelength: Mervin and Annie. Over the course of the novel, they learn to open up to each other and face tough issues together, evolving as characters in the process. The best point in the story is that friends will help you through dark times.
Though this book teaches good friendship values, it still misses something to make it really pop. If you are looking for a quick read for a car trip or a rainy day, this is your book. 3 stars. –Hadley, teen reviewer
Find the book in our catalog: Lessons I Never Learned at Meadowbrook Academy