Upper Fourth at Malory Towers
Synopsis: Darrell and her friends are studying hard for their exams, but there is a lot to distract them. Not only has Darrell's younger sister, who has just started, fallen under the spell of an awful first year, but Gwen seems to think she's developed a heart problem. Can the upper fourth sort things out? I loved Enid Blyton's school series as a child. I always found her books therapeutic, easy to read and quite relaxing.
I've been re-reading a couple of Blyton's school books over the last few weeks, and I can once again see why I grew to love her as a writer when I was younger. She makes going to boarding school seem like a very fun way of growing up with lots of memorable moments, such as midnight feasts, playing tricks and whatever else comes with it!
However, now aged quite older than I was when I first read Blyton's work, I see that there are quite a few flaws in her plotlines and not very much character development, which in my eyes, is what a story needs to carry it.
Despite this, I still find Enid Blyton's work enjoyable to read on occasion as it is easy to follow the plotlines, characters and stories within the book without becoming confused.