Book Review- The Education of Bet

By Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Published by Houghton Mifflin

Released July 12th, 2010

Source- Author & Publisher

4 stars- I really liked this book, go pick it up

When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised as brother and sister. Now sixteen, they enjoy the comforts that come from wealth. But not all is well in their household. Because she is a girl, Bet's world is contained within the walls of their grand home and the constraints of her limited education. Will's world is much larger, as he is allowed-forced, in his case-to go to school. Neither is happy.

So Bet comes up with a plane and persuades Will to give it a try: They'll switch places. She'll go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses.

But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined. Boys act very differently when they think there are no girls in their midst. In fact, they can be rather brutish. But brutish Bet can deal with. It's more the attraction she feels for her roommate that gets Bet into trouble. This is not the education she expected. (taken from ARC back cover)

The Education of Bet is a delightful, easy Summer read that has a touch of the classics within it's pages. It's a book that I easily devoured in one sitting. I wish it had been a little longer, as Lauren has some fabulous characters I would have loved to learn more about.

The story itself is one I felt was well written. Set in a Victorian time period, Bet and Will live a life of privilege with their Uncle, but both want to live their dreams. In order to do that, Bet has the idea for them to switch places. It's harder than it seems, as girls in the 1800's aren't well educated, as they don't go to school. To fulfill her dream of getting an education, Bet must go in place of Will to school. This won't be easy, as Will's been kicked out of four schools.

What was humorous about the story, is Bet's inner voice and how she's dealing with lying to everyone, by acting like she's a boy. With out giving too much away, Bet gains support from some wonderful supporting characters. I really liked the sweet romance between Bet and her roommate James. James's character really intrigued me and I loved his reaction to Bet when finds out she's a girl.

Will and Bet's Uncle provided both humor and a bit of realism for the time period the book is written for. I really like the time period in which The Education of Bet is set, as Lauren captured that 1800's era with the setting and how the characters act, dress and talk. I really liked Bet. She is a wonderful character who doesn't back down when she wants something. She proves she can most definitely handle brutish boys. I love they get out witted by a girl. With both realism and humor, I would definitely recommend this as a wonderful summer reading book to take with you to the lake or the pool.