Thoughts

I've been reading through the Malory Towers series, and have finally reached the last term, along with our heroes Darrell and her friends. After this, they go off into the big, wide world, but there's just time for one more year of adventures!

Best friends Darrell and Sally discuss with their peers what their post-school plans are, but actually spend a lot of their time dealing with troublesome new characters... Jo in particular, who steals and runs away, for which she is 'sent to Coventry'. Gwen, meanwhile, who has been causing chaos for many books, is awful to her father, and Darrell, showing just how grown up she is now, works with headteacher Miss Grayling to deal with her.

'I only mean that when someone does a grievous wrong and glories in it instead of being sorry, then that person must expect a terrible lesson,' said Miss Grayling. 'Somewhere in her life, punishment is awaiting Gwen. I don't know what it is, but inevitably it will come. Thank you, Darrell. You did your best.'

Enid Blyton is happy to preach right and wrong, and with Gwen, the comeuppance is severe. Gwen's mistreated father falls very ill, so she realises that she should change her ways - in time to apologise to him, but with a different future ahead of her.

There are two reasons to read this book. Firstly, if you've read the others in the series, you want to finish off the journey with these characters. It's great that some of the girls, Mary-Lou and Clarissa, for example, know exactly what they want to do. No prizes for guessing Clarissa's involves horses. Darrell's not entirely sure but knows university is the next step. It's nice to imagine them continuing their lives after the final page.

And the second reason is, of course, nostalgia. As an adult reading a 75-year-old children's book, I'm revelling in the simpler times: no mobile phones, no outside world, just boarding school and midnight feasts. It's a different world to where we are now. I dread to think what Darrell would make of school today.

For ending the series well and giving Darrell and friends a good send-off, this gets a 4 out of 5, just missing out on that top score for the heavy-handed lessons.

Rating: 4 / 5