Frances Greenslade

Well, this one wasn't what I expected. We have Francie, a thirteen-year-old girl, who has suffered quite a bit of family tragedy thanks to the earlier death of her sister, and shortly before this tale begins, the disappearance and assumed death, of her father as he sought help for them and got lost in the wilderness. So, to help her life return to 'normal', she's sent to a secluded boarding school in the mountains, where only eight students study while learning to survive the great outdoors. show more While Francie and her new best friend are exploring nearby caves, a odd noise roars somewhere nearby, but with a snow storm moving in, they don't have time to investigate. Just before the storm knocks the power out, the news announces the disappearance of a private plane in their area...and Francie is sure that was the noise. But nobody believes her. Plus, with the massive storm raging outside, it's not even safe to start a search party.

While this one has academy in the title and the school plays a side role in the plot as well as lays the setting, the rest of the story hangs on Francie and her past as well as the attempt to rescue the plane's passengers. There are some other side-plots weaving around a few of the other girls, which does give this depth and life, while tension and action slide in from the storm and survival end. It does create a nice balance between characters and plot, and makes for a well-rounded story.

The scenes and characters come to life thanks to well-developed descriptions and a natural flow. The mountains and outdoors hits with a richness, which draws in until one can almost smell the pines. And it's hard not to want to climb the fire-tower, sleep in front of the fireplace, or stomp through new-fallen snow right along with Francie. The academy seemed to be a wonderful place, especially since most of the girls were very likeable. There were some aspects of the academy's rules (or lack of), which surprised me, though. Francie is never really punished for breaking the few rules, which exist, and comes out without any (or very slight) consequences every time. Even her rescue attempt, while brave, goes against many important survival guidelines and common sense. For a book, which promotes and describes some helpful techniques and the love for the outdoors, I found this a little odd. But it does make for a more tense story and more excitement.

Francie has quite a few problems from her past to deal with, and the reader learns about these little-by-little as the story goes along. These come in sudden flashbacks, which not only slowly expose Francie's past but also add to her personality. Since these blend right into the story, I did find them a little confusing at times, but in general, it was a nice way to get to know Francie better. These did, however, slow down the pacing, at times, which, for an action girl like me, isn't always happily seen. But character fans will eat it up.

This is an enjoyable read, which swings toward survival fiction and reminds a bit of books like My Side of the Mountain. True outdoor tidbits are described, for those who love such things. So, it is an enjoyable read and is sure to grab the interest of many readers. show less

An excellent blend of dealing with loss and finding courage by Francie, the main character. Faced with two nearly impossible living arrangements...staying with an alcoholic grandfather, or living in a Vancouver high rise with her aunt, she finds a third option that calls to her. It's a remote girls' school called Green Mountain Academy. There, she can explore and use the skills she learned from her late father while hoping her mother recovers from a psychotic depression.
I particularly like show more the way the author slowly reveals what happened to Francie's family that landed her mother in the hospital and Francie dealing with guilt and her own sadness. The other girls who attend the school are fully fleshed out and add greatly to the story. The storm is pretty vividly described, done so to a point where I could see it in my head. The coincidence of who they rescue and what follows is a neat touch. All in all, this is a dandy juvenile adventure story and should easily find a spot on many library shelves. show less

I’ve been on a bit of a middle-grade streak and I love how vastly different the stories, experiences, perspectives and lessons are with each author’s take.

Green Mountain Academy is the second book in this series, however I read it as a stand-alone and didn’t feel that I was missing any major pieces of the story. The main character has been through SO much in her brief years and my heart grieved for her from the first page. At the same time, her story is one of courage, love, show more self-discovery, friendship and processing trauma.

The only part I was a bit iffy on was the celebrity plane crash - seemed a bit far-fetched but that’s only if I was really digging for something to “complain” about - otherwise, loved the story, the girls and the bad-assery of it all! show less

I was very excited to read Green Mountain Academy. It looked to be a great middle-grade adventure book with a beautiful setting and fun characters. Unfortunately, I found it very hard to read (especially read aloud to my kids). The wording and vocabulary does not make for an easy and enjoyable reading experience. The story is interesting, and the characters are memorable. Unfortunately, I just can't give a positive review due to the less than ideal writing style.