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Does anyone know what this teen boarding school book probably from the nineties is?

12 replies

suchafunnybear · 23/06/2024 19:33

At school circa 1995 everyone in my English class was lent this book. We had to read it for homework then do some work about it in class.

No one I went to school with who I've asked remembers it and I can't find anything on the internet. I'm starting to wonder if I imagined it.

It's about a boy in a boarding school sixth form. He has a sort of boy-crush on one of his male teachers. He also has a girlfriend at home, who dumps him because he's never around.

There's a girl in his school who likes him. I think she's called Iris and is described as frog-like. (I'm sure I remember my teacher saying she didn't find froggy Iris believable.)

There's some kind of scandal at the school involving the teacher the boy has a crush on. I remember one of the tasks we did in school was writing a newspaper report about the scandal.

There was a foreword or afterword in the book where the author wrote something about children's books having to find a reason for the children to be away from their parents, and using a boarding school setting was one way of doing it, but boarding schools were currently out of fashion in children's literature.

The book seemed to have a contemporary feel when I read it in the middle nineties so I think it was probably fairly new then, but obviously could be older than I think.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks!

OP posts:
ajanifear · 23/06/2024 21:05

It might be a Midsummer Night’s Death by KM Peyton?

AdjustableSpaniel · 23/06/2024 21:15

I thought KM Peyton too, but maybe the next one about the same characters -- Last Ditch?

ajanifear · 23/06/2024 21:17

I only have the vaguest memories of them, but the froggy Iris rang a bell

AdjustableSpaniel · 23/06/2024 21:17

There's definitely an Iris in Last Ditch, but actually I think ajanifer has it (teacher scandal rather than pupil scandal).

AdjustableSpaniel · 23/06/2024 21:20

I'm guessing Iris is in both books?

ajanifear · 23/06/2024 21:23

I think she is, the teacher scandal made me think of A Midsummer nights death as you say

suchafunnybear · 23/06/2024 23:00

Yes! Thank you!

I've read the kindle sample of A Midsummer Night's Death and it's definitely that.

It's quite a bit older than I thought.

Thank you so much. I've been trying to remember it for ages.

OP posts:
TimothyIsNotAnArmardillo · 23/08/2024 21:23

It's Midsummer Night's Death - the sequel is called The Last Ditch where the boy Jonathan gets Iris pregnant (she lies about birth control)

Mikebear79 · 28/01/2025 13:06

Was It perhaps Stand Before Your God by Paul Watkins? Published in 1993. - Mike

Does anyone know what this teen boarding school book probably from the nineties is?
marcopront · 28/01/2025 14:04

Mikebear79 · 28/01/2025 13:06

Was It perhaps Stand Before Your God by Paul Watkins? Published in 1993. - Mike

There are only 8 messages before yours.
If you read them all you would know the OP had found the book

Mikebear79 · 28/01/2025 15:38

@marcopront - I just love when some jerk makes assumptions about my actions and then publicly publishes an unsolicited and rude response based on zero feedback from me, thus only going off of your false narrative. Why... you should do it more often! You'll be the belle of the ball. People will come from all over just for the chance to have one of your "informed" responses written on their behalf. Yes, I think you are on to something. Have a lovely day.

AdjustableSpaniel · 29/01/2025 10:16

Crikey. Most of us would just say oops, didn't read them all.

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