Geri Valentine

Banshees and witches battle it out at St Brigid's in this fifth and final installment of Geri Valentine's series about a convent boarding school on the banks of Ireland's River Boyne. As the 150th Anniversary of the founding of the school approaches, Nuala, Judith and the rest of the gang revive a secret society known as The Banshees, which flourished at St Brigid's one hundred years before. At the same time, a group of sixth-form girls, under the leadership of Clementine Vallely, form a Wiccan coven. The two groups cross paths on a number of occasions throughout the book, as the Banshees dare one another to perform risky tasks, and the witches meet and cast spells. With tricks aplenty, trips to Dublin, and the anniversary pageant, it's a full term at St Brigid's, and it ends with the righting of a great wrong, a wrong having to do with the original Banshees of St Brigid's, from so long ago...

Although I wouldn't describe the St Brigid's books as personal favorites, when it comes to the school story genre, I have enjoyed reading them, and I have found that they improve, as the series progresses. Banshees of St Brigid's is a case in point, and I found myself far more engrossed in the girls' doings here, than I was when reading the first two titles, Bad Habits at St Brigid's and New Broom at St Brigid's. This is no doubt partially owing to a greater familiarity with the characters, and their various personalities, something it took Valentine a few volumes to really establish. It is also owing to the interesting story idea here, with the past and present mingling, as the ghost of Elizabeth Bruder helps the girls to discover and reestablish the Banshees club. Although I was able to guess what was going on from the very first appearance of the ghost, I still enjoyed watching Nuala and Judith eventually figure it out, after many interactions with their mysterious helper. There were some atmospheric moments here, and some humorous ones as well, and although there were questions unanswered - how did Elizabeth Bruder die, and come to be haunting St Brigid's? Who was the second ghost who accompanied Elizabeth, when she visited the girls during their late night sojourn in their favorite tree? - they didn't spoil the story for me. Recommended to those who have read and enjoyed the previous four entries in the series.… (altro)

The girls of St Brigid's - a boarding school for girls on Ireland's River Boyne - are back in this fourth novel devoted to their adventures, this time heading off to Rome for their annual school trip. In between visits to various sites of historic and artistic significance, they become inadvertently involved in another mystery, when a knock-off suede coat given to their teacher and chaperone, Miss Ryan, turns out to have stolen photo negatives in its pocket. Now the girls must figure out why people keep breaking into their hotel rooms, and why mysterious and threatening figures begin to approach them on the streets of Rome. They have little idea however, that one of the people seeking those negatives is none other than 'the countess,' one of two villains who, masquerading as nuns, caused such trouble in Bad Habits at St Brigid's...

I'm not sure why it is, but I find that my enjoyment of this series has increased, with each successive book. The first two titles - Bad Habits at St Brigid's and New Broom at St Brigid's - were engaging enough, but not particularly involving from an emotional standpoint, and it was difficult to care too much for the characters. The third, St Brigid's Bounces Back, was an improvement, and I found myself more involved with the girls and their various experiences. Here, in Buon Giorno St Brigid's, I found myself quite enjoying the travelogue aspect of the story, as the girls visit various sites around Rome, and I was amused by the almost blithe way they carried on, even when they became aware that sinister forces were interested in them. This entertaining juxtaposition of happy holiday-making and sinister plotting behind the scenes is captured in the cover artwork from Marie Louise Fitzpatrick, which shows the girls and their teacher crowded merrily around a fountain, while two people in sunglasses peer out at them from behind nearby columns. Although I wouldn't describe this one as desperately suspenseful, or notably hilarious, I did find it enjoyable and amusing. Recommended to those who have read and enjoyed the previous three entries in the series.… (altro)

The girls of St Brigid's return in this third adventure, finding that their summer term at school is every bit as exciting as those they experienced in Bad Habits at St. Brigid's and New Broom at St. Brigid's. There are plenty of fun times, from the Boyne Peace eco-trips that science teacher Miss Crilly plans, to the secret midnight birthday party thrown for Nuala, on the castle roof. Treasure-hunting plays its part, as the girls face off against the boys of nearby Newgrange College, with quite unexpected results, in the form of the discovery of a medieval manuscript, long thought lost. But the main focus of the story is on new girl Natalie Frossart, supposedly from Scotland, who is so very different from the other St. Brigid's girls. When it becomes apparent that sinister people are after Natalie, the girls band together to protect her...

Although I found the first two books in Geri Valentine's St. Brigid's series, set at a convent boarding school on Ireland's River Boyne, enjoyable enough, I cannot say that they were that involving, from an emotional standpoint. The attention is largely on the adventures the girls have, rather than on their personal and interpersonal lives, and it is difficult to become too involved with their story, as a result. Although I wouldn't say that St. Brigid's Bounces Back is a complete departure, I did find myself a little more involved, and curious to see what would happen next. Perhaps this is because the girls' relationships with one another comes into better focus, with the good-natured teasing between Josie and Aileen, and the girls' protective stance toward Natalie. The latter's story was an interesting variation on the "Ruritanian Romance" idea, as she turns out to be the granddaughter of a Middle Eastern king, being pursued by unscrupulous cousins intent on forcing her into a marriage of convenience. As someone interested in antiquities, I also enjoyed the mention of the Fulachta Fiadh - Bronze Age 'burnt mounds' whose purpose is still debated - and the trip to Monasterboice, with its magnificent High Cross of Muiredach. Sadly, although I lived in Ireland for two years, I never got to this site, although it remains on the list of places I would like to visit, when I return. I was fascinated moreover, to learn of Irish highwayman and 'Robin Hood' figure Michael Collier, a figure previously unknown to me, through a story told by Aileen at one point. I'll have to see if I can track down more information about him! Finally, although it is a minor point, I also enjoyed the cover here, which shows the girls perched in 'Barney,' the massive beech tree by the river, which provides their favorite hideout. The cover artwork is done by Irish picture-book creator Marie Louise Fitzpatrick, who own books I have enjoyed.

All in all, an entertaining addition to the series, and one I would recommend, naturally enough, to those who have read and enjoyed the preceding volumes.… (altro)

The girls of St. Brigid's, a convent boarding school on Ireland's River Boyne, return in this follow-up to their initial adventure, chronicled in Geri Valentine's Bad Habits at St. Brigid's. The girls' focus this term is on their new headmistress, the tall and imposing Sister Gobnait, who, after the debacle of the previous year, in which two of the nuns at St. Brigid's turned out to have been thieves in disguise, has been sent to clean up the school. Her measures are often unpopular with the girls, particularly when she attempts to prevent them from watching their favorite television program, and Judith and Nuala, perhaps influenced by their experiences with Mother Borgia, begin to suspect that she is the mysterious ghostly figure seen lurking in the halls of St. Brigid's. In addition to these school matters, the girls also find themselves involved in another mystery, this time involving a planned art theft at the National Gallery in Dublin. With the help of their friend Bill Crilley, the brother of one of their teachers, and a historian, they foil this plot, which was the brainchild of none other than the "countess" and Jo O'Leary - two villains from the previous book...

Although I found it fairly enjoyable, I wouldn't describe New Broom at St. Brigid's as a particularly noteworthy or memorable example of either the school story or the mystery genre. Judith and Nuala dominate this entry in the series, but the reader gets little sense of them, or of any of the other girls. I found, much as I did with the first book, that this was very much a surface read, with little or no exploration of the inner lives of any of the characters, or of their relationships with one another. The narrative is driven almost exclusively by the events around the girls, whether that be school matters, or the mystery of the art theft, which makes it difficult to take any of them to heart, as characters. The criminal goings-on are (much as in the first book) rather over the top, and somewhat convoluted, involving a fake teacher intent on retrieving buried treasure, a ring of thieves intent on stealing paintings, and a fake doctor using truth serum to extract information from his patients, in order to blackmail them. This is quite a bit of skulduggery, and the girls and Bill manage to unravel it all fairly easily. All of that said, if one can accept this as a bit of melodramatic farce, it isn't unpleasant, particularly for those who enjoy school stories. For my own part, I particularly liked the scenes set in Dublin, as the area described, around Trinity College, Grafton Street and St. Stephen's Green, was my stomping grounds, when I lived there myself. Recommended to anyone who read and enjoyed Bad Habits at St. Brigid's.… (altro)