The Secret of Dinswood by Ellen Alexander

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. 

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 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.