The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton Disclafani

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls

by Anton Disclafani

Exiled to an equestrian boarding school in the South at the height of the Great Depression for her role in a family tragedy, strong-willed teen Thea Atwell grapples with painful memories while acclimating to the school's strict environment.

Reviewed by Lianne on

3 of 5 stars

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The setting of The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls was very interesting. It adds a uniqueness to the story and sets the tone in a way that the story I think would’ve felt different had it been set in just a regular boarding school.

The story itself was okay. It was a bit frustrating that it took over half the novel to find out exactly what Thea did that led her to being sent to the riding camp because some of the early flashbacks with her and her family gave nothing away. On the one hand I felt sorry for Thea and the way that she was always treated as an afterthought in her family. At the same time, I’m not sure if she learned anything else from her time at Yonahlossee; the issues she was sent away for were never really addressed by her family (though she had come to some introspective understanding of it herself).

Readers of historical fiction (particularly those set in the 1930s), fans of the great outdoors, coming-of-age stories and young adult may enjoy this novel. My complete review of the novel was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2013/05/30/review-the-yonahlossee-riding-camp-for-girls/

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  • Started reading
  • 20 May, 2013: Finished reading
  • 20 May, 2013: Reviewed