**The Crazy School Review

PUB DATE January 2008

Thank you to Miriam at Hachette for sending me this to read and review.

I really think before you read this you should read A Field Of Darkness. As the book picks up from where that left off. I didn’t know that when I was reading it and I have to say some of the info about Madeline was confusing. She killed people in the previous book.

The story takes place in 1989 in Berkshires with is in Western Massachusetts at Santangelo Academy. Santangelo is a school for troubled teens. Madeline is working at the school teaching history cause she needs the job. Her husband has been out of work since the moved there. The school is like a prison for the students and the teachers because of the list of crazy rules that David has put forth. The purpose of the strict rules is too keep everyone in their place. Smoking and drinking coffee is not allowed on the school grounds. The kids at the school come from wealthy families and they are sent to Santangelo as a last resort before they end up in jail or asylums.

David the founder of the school is not only the creator of the crazy rules but he also makes students, teachers and parents attend therapy sessions and has staff meetings daily. The teachers who live at the school are resposnible for not only teaching but handing out medication to the students, monitor dorms and punish the students with severe forms of punishment even if its a minor thing. If the students misbehave they are sent to “The Farm”

There is two students who get into trouble, Fay (she is pregnant) and Mooney who is her boyfriend. When Mooney puts his hand through the window in confides in Madeline and makes her promise not to tell anyone for a few days until they can figure things out and she agrees. Mooney and Fay are sent to The Farm. The day after Fays 18th birthday Fay and Mooney are found dead. Everyone assumes it was a suicide pact but Madeline thinks differently. She makes accusations that it was Gerald who did it and before Madeline knows it she is the prime suspect because the evidence points to her.

Realizing that she was set up she fights back to prove it wasn’t her. Her lawyer warns her not to discuss the case with anyone. (You and I both know that if she did follow the lawyers warning there would be no story really.) The lawyer has a team working the case to find out all they can about Gerald but there is some gaps that Madeline is trying to fill in. She talks to Gerald and he tells her that he is looking into the killing of his sister a few years ago that took place at the school. Gerald shows Madeline what he has uncovered and before you realize it the killer has killed Gerald to make it look like he killed himself. The killer forces Madeline to the roof and wants her to jump to make it look like she killed herself.

Who is the killer? Will Madeline survive?

I know..do you? If you want to know then I suggest you pick up both books to find out.