Maresi is one of the many girls that lives on an island called the Red Abbey. The Red Abbey is an island on which males are not allowed. A girl can come to the Abbey because her family cannot provide for her, or her family wants her to get a premium education. Girls start out as junior novices, then become senior novices. Novices take lessons from the “Sisters” to learn how to do a job. The mother is the head of the group. You could learn how to cook or take care of sick people. The life of Maresi completely changes when Jai arrives. Maresi has to learn how to understand other people to be able to save the Abbey.
The book became very interesting in the end. The fast moving plot and the plot twists kept me reading the book for hours. The beginning of the book was slow, due to the long introduction. Although I was bored at times, this helped me understand everything in the end. This book was not predictable at all; the surprises made the book hard to put down. My only complaint would be that the beginning is a little slow and boring, but overall it is a great book.
One memorable thing about the book is that men are not allowed on the island. This was very surprising for me, and I can’t find a reason for only women on the island.
Reviewed by Saarthak, Grade 7, Twin Hickory Library
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