Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed The Secret of Grim Hill (Grim Hill, Bk 1) on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
After an awful first day at her new school, Cat Peters decides that she will do anything to escape from Darkmont High. When she hears that Grimoire--the private school that sits alone on a forest-covered hill--is offering full tuition to the winners of a soccer competition to be held on Halloween, she makes up her mind to put all of her energy into it. She's ecstatic when she makes one of the two teams--the Witches--and suddenly, her life begins to shape up. Everyone now wants to be her friend, teachers let her leave class early for soccer practice, and the entire town is cheering her on to win the game.
The only two people who do not seem to so excited about it are Cat's little sister, Sookie, and their nerdy neighbor, Jasper. Cat can't help that she doesn't have time to do things with Sookie now that she has so much soccer practice, and she doesn't need a nerd for a friend now that she's finally fitting in at school. But is Cat's acceptance by her peers, and the rest of this town, really normal, or has soccer really taken over? And why is it that, when something seems to conflict with the game or practice, it seems to be eliminated in the worst way?
I must say that the ending of this book surprised me by not going in the direction I expected it. Instead, it appealed to a topic that I find fascinating, and I enjoyed seeing this author's take. A fun fantasy mystery for the younger reader.
After an awful first day at her new school, Cat Peters decides that she will do anything to escape from Darkmont High. When she hears that Grimoire--the private school that sits alone on a forest-covered hill--is offering full tuition to the winners of a soccer competition to be held on Halloween, she makes up her mind to put all of her energy into it. She's ecstatic when she makes one of the two teams--the Witches--and suddenly, her life begins to shape up. Everyone now wants to be her friend, teachers let her leave class early for soccer practice, and the entire town is cheering her on to win the game.
The only two people who do not seem to so excited about it are Cat's little sister, Sookie, and their nerdy neighbor, Jasper. Cat can't help that she doesn't have time to do things with Sookie now that she has so much soccer practice, and she doesn't need a nerd for a friend now that she's finally fitting in at school. But is Cat's acceptance by her peers, and the rest of this town, really normal, or has soccer really taken over? And why is it that, when something seems to conflict with the game or practice, it seems to be eliminated in the worst way?
I must say that the ending of this book surprised me by not going in the direction I expected it. Instead, it appealed to a topic that I find fascinating, and I enjoyed seeing this author's take. A fun fantasy mystery for the younger reader.
