I absolutely adored this. I may have even loved it more than Miss Mabel's School for Girls. Mildred was a perfect heroine and one couldn't help but feel for her as she went through the good, the bad and the ugly parts of life. Evelyn while a nightmare was a great character as well - it was riveting to watch her be manipulated and then manipulate the situations to her needs. I just really loved this story. For a prequel it wasn't what I was expecting. It was just so involved. All the main and secondary characters were fleshed out with real motivations. The writing was fluid and engaging. And the plot was intriguing. Bianca's fierce in all the right ways - but Mildred is fierce in her own way - struggling her way through everything to come out on top. It makes her all that more real - and her struggles all the more rewarding when she triumphs. Plus Evelyn is a perfectly flawed villain - unlike Miss Mabel who seems utterly unredeemable - Evelyn is human in her pain, her grief and her friendships. It's easy to hate Miss Mabel - but Evelyn inspires something more.
