Angela is a dangerous girl. She has been kicked out of a lot of schools. She breaks rules. She dates the wrong guys. Now the family member she was staying with has been hurt and the blame falls on Angela. Her parents are not able to deal with her so they send her to Hidden Oaks; a reform school to make her better. Hidden Oaks is a place for Angela to learn how to obey. As soon as she gets to the school she learns this is not like other schools. Soon she finds out that the school has a terrible secret and that she is the only on who is dangerous enough to change everything.
The catch phrase for the main character in this book is, “Stay dangerous”. To me the book was not dangerous at all. The characters all had problems and acted in ways that were stupid and not at all interesting. The idea of a school where girls who have been bad, are given a second chance is great. Even the idea that some of the girls are too dangerous and instead of being given help they are forced to live horrible lives full of abuse and punishment is interesting. The idea of a book that exposes what goes on in some of the reform schools in the U.S. is a great one. This book just didn’t pull it off. The plot was thin, the pacing was really slow, and the ending was lackluster. The dialog between the girls is unrealistic, and the dialog between the girls and the parents dosen’t really convey any emotion from either side. Overall this book didn’t work for me.
If you’re interested in a book about crazy schools, juvenile offenders, and scary faculty I would read Boot Camp by Todd Strasser. Boot Camp gives a much more realistic look into the world of child correction schools. It moves a lot faster and the reader can’t help but be sucked into the characters’ world. While reading Boot Camp I felt a real connection with the characters. I never felt connected to any of the girls in The School for Dangerous Girls.
If you’re interested in reading about bullying and punishment, but don’t want mare of an action packed adventure I recommend Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith. It’s the story of a teen that gets arrested and sentenced to life in a maximum security prison 10 miles underground. It’s very creepy and exciting; complete with masked guards and a warden who is both terrifying and mechanical. Even with all of the drama and horror of the prison, this book still does a better job of exploring the boys who are locked up and the culture that breeds violent and aggressive teens.
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