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The Secrets of the Drearcliff Grange School

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The Secrets of the Drearcliff Grange School

By: Kim Newman
Narrated by: Joan Walker
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A week after her mother found her sleeping on the ceiling, Amy Thomsett is delivered to her new school, Drearcliff Grange in Somerset. Although it looks like a regular boarding school, Amy learns that Drearcliff girls are special, the daughters of criminal masterminds, outlaw scientists and master magicians.

Several of the pupils also have special gifts like Amy's, and when one of the girls in her dormitory is abducted by a mysterious group in black hoods, Amy forms a secret, superpowered society called the Moth Club to rescue their friend. They soon discover that the Hooded Conspiracy runs through the school, and it is up to the Moth Club to get to the heart of it.

Kim Newman is a well-known and respected author and movie critic. He writes regularly for Empire Magazine and contributes to The Guardian, The Times, Time Out and others. He makes frequent appearances on radio and TV. He has won the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild, British Fantasy and British Science Fiction Awards and been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, and James Herbert Awards.

©2015 Kim Newman (P)2016 Audible, Ltd Classics Fantasy Horror Science Fiction Scary
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The period post WW1 is interesting as a setting for fantasy. It’s well written and I really liked the narrator.
The tale ends on a mysterious note indicating a new adventure about to start, having shown us where the main characters would be about 10 or 15 years hence.

Lengthy but well constructed

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Good narration brings this gripping story to life. Dark, menacing yet whimsical alternate 1920s Britain.

Quirky creepy boarding school story

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Loyal friends, unusual abilities, a gothic setting and terrible dangers make for a thrilling horror-tinged adventure.

Homage to boarding school stories

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This is an insight into a girls' school, but with a special twist. A very enjoyable listen, brilliantly narrated.

Very good listen

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I enjoyed this immensely and don't care that technically it's meant to be YA. Amy's alienation at joining a new school late and the casual tortures - physical and psychogical - that girls inflict on each other as she tries to fit in is convincing. She soon discovers that she, like some of the other pupils, is an "unusual" with odd powers that she must explore and master. In this universe unusual powers are acknowledged and, in a few cases, celebrated but there are dark plots afoot.

I do appreciate the gung ho adventurous spirit of the girls of Drearcliff and their distinctly odd teachers. The girls do not hesitate in setting off to rescue a friend held captive by masked criminals, or stop another girl having her face cut off, or launch violent physical attacks on any other rotters including dastardly prefects.

It's not quite as jam-packed full of cultural references as Kim Newman's other books but there's enough to enjoy spotting. Not exactly sure what age it's aimed at but I would have LOVED this book from about 11 onwards.

Joan Walker gets the tone of a 1920s boarding school story just right and sounds as if she's enjoying herself too.

All in all it's tremendous, exciting fun.

Spiffing school story via Lovecraft & the X-Men

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