Although the dialogue felt unconvincing at times (most often in the voice of a teenager at a learning unit), the plot was cleverly influenced by inter textual links to Greek tragedy. so, rather than being a The Secret History story of a charismatic teacher leading impressionable students astray, it's more of a "hey, maybe troubled kids should be taught by specialists and not just people who happen to know the director of a reform school" scenario. But it may be that those clients are more capable of taking care of themselves than anyone could have imagined.

But Alex's enthusiasm for these writings (which I gather reflects the author's own), and the way she uses them to bring the kids out of themselves as well as, unwittingly, herself out of her blanket of grief, had me eager to learn more. Her burgeoning womanhood, the glorious body, a physical shape that enthralled and terrified her, attracting and enticing men and women and those in the many betweens: she revelled in her body, revealed it to herself and sometimes to them. Kā jau stāstu krājumā ar dažādām autorēm - daži stāsti man patika ļoti, daži - nu tā un daži - īsti nepatika. Tygress” Claire Kohda (5/5) is impressive in its symbolism and its unique representation of motherhood.

In this community, where suggestions quickly become fact, where gossip and hearsay can lead to terrible consequences, what can she do to stop a rumour once it has started? The fact that the book ends with her final letter to Alex, saying that she thinks both of them will have happy endings one day, made me emotional cause even though she does do something horrible and I am glad she is convicted for it, I do still hope she gets a second chance. I really liked how Haynes depicted her grief - this quote especially struck me: ”If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t do any of it.

Instead, Haynes used the plot of Alex, a theatre director, teaching juvenile delinquents about Greek drama as a way to ask whether certain themes and issues addressed in Greek drama are still relevant today and how they would be assessed today. But this is really good: woman whose husband has died goes to work in a school with kids who have been kicked out of their schools and they all read Greek tragedies together. Published to celebrate 50 years of the feminist imprint, Virago, I enjoyed every contribution, including Sandi Toksvig’s introduction. not a bad thing at all, but if you are looking for The Secret History knockoffs like i always am, know that this is not the same kind of narrative arc.Finally, “Dragon” by Stella Duffy (5/5) explores the theme of aging and change in the context of menopause. It's not a perfect book, but it is very good, engaging and interesting and full of wonderful mythological goodness for newbies as well as seasoned nerds. Her background is in theater and she takes a teaching job at Rankeillor Street, a place for children who have been kicked out of previous schools.

Even the titles of the stories in this anthology are symbolic in that they are words that are ordinarily used to describe women in not-so-pleasant terms. The teens –Ricky, Jono, Carly, Annika, and particularly Mel, an astute and intelligent deaf girl whose diaries punctuate the book – are inspired by the ancient tales of guilt, vengeance and self-discovery. Some of the best bits, for me at least, are the fairly lengthy discussions Alex has with the kids about the dramas they've been reading (or, kids being kids, quite often not reading). I remember seeing this when Karen wrote about it, and of course Virago were publicising it on social media.Admittedly I do not know the source material very well – a situation I intend to rectify – but reading this it is actually quite amazing to see how relevant those dramatic and often horrific stories are to the emotions and thought processes of modern times…the themes of fate versus free will, vengeance versus forgiveness are weaved subtly into the plot and it is wonderful to behold. A compelling, entertaining and thought-provoking collection that showcases brilliant writing through a broad range of different styles and approaches. The story is then woven around the aftermath of the killing; why is Alex apparently spying on someone and why is one of her pupils stalking her? Of the eight books incoming in March this year I have now abandoned two and read and reviewed four, with one not reviewed on here yet, and one in the Reading With Emma pile. All of them had their moments and none of them felt just like a caricature of a bad kid or a troubled teen, but I only really grew attached to Mel and Carly.