Boarding School Blues

As a boarding school lass myself, I always enjoy reading books that take place in that tucked away, institutional setting. I am often frustrated, however, at how unrealistic it all is. As far as most unfamiliars are concerned, boarding school elicits mental snapshots of teenagers frolicking chaotically about in preppy attire - no parents, no rules, just freedom. I hate to shatter this fantasy, but boarding school was by far the most structured, stressful phase of my existence. Not at all like fiction paints it to be.

Freefall, the high-tension, thought-provoking debut from Dartmouth student Ariela Anhalt, is the first example I've found where students aren't protected from the outside world by the "school bubble". As this book decrees, actions have consequences and serious misdoings aren't necessarily shielded from the law. In a fencing team initiation gone wrong, a student ends up dead - smashed against the rocks after falling from a cliff. Hayden and Luke are the only two students present for the tragedy. In fact, Luke witnesses his best friend shoving Russell over the edge...no, scratch that. Luke isn't sure what he sees. But the event causes him to question everything, especially as the demons he tries to suppress bubble messily to the surface.

While I was reading this book (and quickly, I might add), I was continually struck by Anhalt's remarkable insight into the mentality of a teenage boy who is angry at the world and doesn't know why. As a reader, I experienced frustration towards Luke and the wrath he fails to control, a sure sign that Anhalt did the best job possible of portraying him. A commendable effort!