Customer Reviews

Manderley Prep: A BFF Novel

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4 star:		(3)
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Manderley Prep School, where the students are as exclusive as the school itself, except perhaps, for Cindy Ellis. Leaving her old school and BFF's behind, Cindy has to find her way with the rich and elite.

Her twin step sisters, blond, beautiful, cheerleaders and legends in their own mind make Cindy's school experience far from easy. But, as determined as they are to snub her at every opportunity, they become even more invested when Italian transfer student, Marco shows interest in Cindy. Can Cindy discover what nasty trick the twins played on her before she loses Marco as a result?

Following the new trend in young adult fiction about the rich and beautiful, MANDERLEY PREP fits right in. While some might be entertained by the loosely translated Cinderella story, I found it rather shallow. But I did find a few redeeming qualities.

The Author attempts to illustrate scruples by showing the bad behavior displayed by some of the characters having negative ramifications for them. Unfortunately, some of the bad behavior was sex, smoking and dealing pot, and drinking to the point of excess and possible addiction. While these things do exist in real life for this age group, I don't think it's a matter of course that they be romanticized or elaborated. Even though consequences for these actions were usually shown, it didn't have time to really resonate.

Culver does a good job with the young adult voice, nailing dialog in a believable fashion in this first novel in the series.

But as a parent, MANDERLEY PREP is not a book I can recommend without reservation.

COURTESY OF CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Everyone at exclusive Manderley Prep has the right clothes, the right car, and the right friends, which makes Cindy Ellis stand out like a sore thumb. Attending Manderley on a scholarship is her ticket to a chance at an Ivy League school, where she can get as far away as she can from her demanding stepmother and two conniving stepsisters. She intends to stay focused on her studies. But when charming Italian exchange student Marco shows up, she just can't help but fall for him, despite her intentions. Is a fairy-tale ending in the works?


The first in the new BFF series, Manderley Prep is upbeat and engrossing. It gives the reader a taste of what a privileged life is like--good and bad--without appearing pretentious. Also a real breakaway from the tired modern day re-tellings of Cinderella, this story is subtle, and the fairy tale doesn't dominate the entire plot, which allows for more serious plot twists that make this story believable and easy to relate to. Readers will love Cindy, and be rooting for this modern princess with a punch every step of the way.

Everyone at exclusive Manderley Prep has the right clothes, the right car, and the right friends, which makes Cindy Ellis stand out like a sore thumb.

Attending Manderley on a scholarship is her ticket to a chance at an Ivy League school, where she can get as far away as she can from her demanding stepmother and two conniving stepsisters. She intends to stay focused on her studies. But when charming Italian exchange student Marco shows up, she just can't help but fall for him, despite her intentions.

Is a fairy-tale ending in the works?

The first in the new BFF series, MANDERLEY PREP is upbeat and engrossing. It gives the reader a taste of what a privileged life is like -- good and bad -- without appearing pretentious. Also a real breakaway from the tired modern day retellings of Cinderella, this story is subtle, and the fairy tale doesn't dominate the entire plot, which allows for more serious plot twists that make this story believable and easy to relate to.

Readers will love Cindy, and be rooting for this modern princess with a punch every step of the way.

Reviewed by: The Compulsive Reader

I gave a copy to every girl in my niece's freshman high school class. A big hit!!

In the San Francisco Bay area teenager Cindy Ellis's wealthy dad married Irina Vanderhoffer. Thus she suddenly had two stepsisters Brie and Lauren who she quickly disliked as they were spoiled, slimy and sneaky. Not long after the families blend, her father dies. Irina refuses to allow her stepdaughter a chance to grieve the only person in the world she loved and who in turn cherished her. Instead Irina forces Cindy to work at her spa, while her own daughters are able to join the cheerleading squad and chase the athletes; making matters even more unbearable Brie and Lauren treat Cindy like a slave and their mother condones their behavior.

With no BF or BFF the lonely Cindy feels her only escape in the foreseeable future is a full scholarship so that she can leave the egotistical trio behind. At the exclusive Manderley Prep the lonely Cindy works hard at school and provides English tutoring. Foreign exchange student Marco Valenti, the star of the soccer team, is her current student that she tutors. . She is attracted to the Italian stallion, but assumes he would never go for a girl like her. As her stepsisters pull cruel stunts on her to keep her away from Marco, Cindy decides enough as revenge tastes sweet.

Mindful of Hilary Duff's A Cinderella Story, high school readers will enjoy this entertaining modern day fairy tale. Cindy is a beleaguered lonely heroine with no one to call BFF; her goal is to escape preferably to an East Coast college where she hopes to make friends. The three female Vanderhoffers are right out of the original Cinderella, as they are wicked stepsisters and stepmother abusing her. Fans of the Duff movie will appreciate the first BFF teen tale.

Harriet Klausner