3 of 3 copies available
Twentysomething Abigail Gardner's life is circling the drain. Her parents are dead, her "like a brother" is in love with her, and her nascent career as an art teacher was fully squashed by an unfortunate viral incident involving sophomores and Spanx.
But just as that whirlpool feels poised to suck her down completely, she's granted a second chance: she lands a teaching job at Excelsior Primm, one of Philadelphia's oldest and most prestigious preparatory academies. Only problem is, instead of teaching art she'll be stuck teaching her least favorite subject—literature—and her least favorite theme: tragedy.
Tired of being stuck in her own tragic tale, Abigail starts rewriting every sad ending she can get her hands on, in and out of the classroom. To her surprise, her life soon starts to resemble the fairy tales she adores—great job, hot guy, a career gaining recognition. But when an unexpected plot twist threatens to derail her happy ending, Abigail begins to realize why these conclusions are so hard to come by.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
April 9, 2024 -
Formats
-
Kindle Book
-
OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781684632411
-
EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781684632411
- File size: 2301 KB
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
April 15, 2024
In Deane's debut novel, a woman finds love, laughter, and purpose in a new teaching job. When Abigail Gardner goes for an interview at the exclusive Philadelphia prep school Excelsior Primm, she is seeking a second chance to become an art teacher. An embarrassing incident prompted her to leave her previous school, and she is grateful for any opportunity--even if it unexpectedly lands her in a classroom of sixth-graders, teaching literature. Desperate for a new start, and with the weight of her father's reputation as a literature professor and her grief over his death upon her shoulders, Abigail rolls with it, soon becoming entangled in revamping the drama club, which has her students performing an alternative version of Romeo and Juliet. Deane crafts a quintessential 20-something character searching for her place in the world, occasionally falling back on clich�s such as "Abigail wondered how she got here, where she was going, and what she would think one day when she looked back." Still, Abigail is rendered so endearingly--Deane conveys her thoughts and feelings with great dimension--that readers will happily forgive the occasional shopworn turn of phrase. Her habit of acting as different characters when socializing with her friends is particularly amusing. On a social outing, Abigail runs into Nate, a handsome stranger who turns out to be a fellow teacher at her school. Their romance is slow-burning, in direct contrast to her friendship with Quinn, who is in love with Abigail and whose family treats Abigail as one of their own. Deane takes a well-worn trope in women's fiction and puts a fun spin on it, weaving in subplots involving Abigail's students, friendships, and co-workers. The end result is an expansive tale that will have the reader rooting for happily-ever-afters for a number of characters in addition to the hero. A strong debut romance for fans of true happy endings.COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)
-