“There was nothing wrong with any part of her. She was healthy, and happy, and fat, something which everyone who met her was quick to point out, some in tones of gleeful disgust, others in tones of shameful condemnation. Did she not know that she was fat, perhaps? Had she missed that essential fact of her own physical reality, and needed it explicitly explained to her? There was nothing wrong with her, but she was smart enough to know that everything was wrong with her, and even the fact that her parents and her doctors said that dieting would only do her harm didn’t change the fact that if she didn’t find a way to magically become thin, she would never be accepted.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: fatphobia, diets, escape routes, doors, uniforms and private schools.

Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you’ve already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.

There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again.
It isn’t as friendly as Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

And it isn’t as safe.

When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her Home for Wayward Children, she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn’t save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.

She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming…

Found another favorite in this series! 

This book was a little different from the other books from the series, but not in a bad way. We are used to diving into the different fantasy worlds children go to, but not in this book. Here we follow Cora after coming back to the “real” world, more specifically at a new school: the Whitehorn Institute (the complete opposite of Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children). The question is: why is Cora in a different school?

There are a lot of surprises and twists in this book, and I don’t want to spoil anything, but I’ll say this book focuses on fatphobia, bullying and strict authority. The rest, you will have to find out for yourself!

I have to say that I loved our main character, Cora. From what I remember, she made an appearance in a previous book, but I’m happy she had her time in the spotlight this time! Cora was a very relatable character, and I definitely saw myself in her in different ways.

Another thing I loved about this book was the amazing friendships! Not only a few new characters were introduced, but a few old friends made an appearance as well!

Two things that are important to mention if you’re considering reading this book:

#1: I would highly recommend you read the other books in the series first, because you will need to understand the backstory to read this one – or at least “Beneath the Sugar Sky” and “Come Tumbling Down”… but seriously just read them all, it’s worth it!)

#2: Ttrigger warnings for suicide, fatphobia and bullying.

This is definitely one of my favorite books and characters of the series! Can’t wait to see what the next book will bring!