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School of Fear #2
Class is Not Dismissed!
Der Unterricht im »Phobinasium« geht weiter ...
Mrs Wellington, die Direktorin von Summerstone, hat Madeleine, Garrison, Theo und Lulu zu einem Auffrischungskurs ins Phobinasium eingeladen. Die vier geben zwar vor, im letzten Jahr von ihren Ängsten geheilt worden zu sein, doch Mrs Wellington weiß es besser: Madeline hat ihr Imkerkostüm abgelegt, trägt aber nachts einen Insektenschleier. Theo überprüft nicht mehr per Handy, ob seine Familie noch lebt, sondern schleicht Eltern und Geschwistern nach. Garrison spielt den begeisterten Surfer, geht jedoch morgens nur an den Strand, um mit nassen Haaren in der Schule zu erscheinen. Und Lulu wartet stundenlang vor Aufzügen, damit sie die enge Kabinen nicht allein betreten muss. Und dann gibt es noch eine neue Schülerin, Hyacinth, die panische Angst davor hat, allein gelassen zu werden. Doch bevor sich die Fünf dem neuen Lehrplan stellen können, müssen sie die Schule und Mrs Wellington aus großen Gefahren retten.
Mrs Wellington, die Direktorin von Summerstone, hat Madeleine, Garrison, Theo und Lulu zu einem Auffrischungskurs ins Phobinasium eingeladen. Die vier geben zwar vor, im letzten Jahr von ihren Ängsten geheilt worden zu sein, doch Mrs Wellington weiß es besser: Madeline hat ihr Imkerkostüm abgelegt, trägt aber nachts einen Insektenschleier. Theo überprüft nicht mehr per Handy, ob seine Familie noch lebt, sondern schleicht Eltern und Geschwistern nach. Garrison spielt den begeisterten Surfer, geht jedoch morgens nur an den Strand, um mit nassen Haaren in der Schule zu erscheinen. Und Lulu wartet stundenlang vor Aufzügen, damit sie die enge Kabinen nicht allein betreten muss. Und dann gibt es noch eine neue Schülerin, Hyacinth, die panische Angst davor hat, allein gelassen zu werden. Doch bevor sich die Fünf dem neuen Lehrplan stellen können, müssen sie die Schule und Mrs Wellington aus großen Gefahren retten.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 14, 2010
123 people are currently reading
1527 people want to read
About the author
Gitty Daneshvari
36 books205 followersGitty Daneshvari was born in Los Angeles to an Iranian father and an American mother. As a child she talked incessantly, feeling the need to comment on everything around her. While at first charmed by her verbose nature, her family soon tired of the constant commenting. This is how she found writing — it was better than talking since she didn't even need anyone else to do it with.
She currently lives in New York City and yes she still talks too much.
She currently lives in New York City and yes she still talks too much.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
October 31, 2012
I loved the first book and constantly recommend it to students, but found this and the third book lacking. I don't know if it is because I was in a cynical mood or what. I felt like the story jumped around constantly and there was always an 'emergency,' which didn't bother me in the first book but began getting on my nerves in the second. Also, I became more aware of how consistently Theo was teased for being overweight. I'm not a PC Nazi by any means, yet I felt like after awhile it was just too much. We talk about bullying in schools and I was reading this thinking of one of my students who is severely overweight and how uncomfortable I would be for her to read a student being teased repeatedly for being fat.
February 4, 2025
School Of Fear is back and in session for another summer, the returning four from the year before are back. And this time, they are joined by a fifth student as well. Although it seems like the new student will have a lot of catching up to do to get to where the returning foursome are at, that isn’t the case. After leaving school of fear, although Garrison, Lulu, Theo, and Madeline have improved slightly, they still have a far way to go. And now so does new student HyHy too. But when outside forces threaten to shut down School Of Fear once and for all, the five students must come up with a plan to not only save the school, but themselves as well.
I’m reading this series again as a nostalgic read. They are fun books that are exciting the whole way through and they are filled with facts about fears and phobias and cool little illustrations. The books by themselves are intriguing and interesting, making the series just all around a fun read that I would totally recommend.
I dinged it a star again because I’m still flabbergasted about the body shaming in the book. Especially with how often it comes up. It wasn’t funny the first time and by the thousand time the author makes a joke about Theo being chubby or calling him chubs or another nickname poking fun at his weight, it’s just annoying. For what her intended audience is, I think it’s just poor taste to add so much negativity surrounding body weight and body issues. Kind of disappointing she’s made that such a focus point of the books. If she left that out, this book and series would easily be five stars.
I’m reading this series again as a nostalgic read. They are fun books that are exciting the whole way through and they are filled with facts about fears and phobias and cool little illustrations. The books by themselves are intriguing and interesting, making the series just all around a fun read that I would totally recommend.
I dinged it a star again because I’m still flabbergasted about the body shaming in the book. Especially with how often it comes up. It wasn’t funny the first time and by the thousand time the author makes a joke about Theo being chubby or calling him chubs or another nickname poking fun at his weight, it’s just annoying. For what her intended audience is, I think it’s just poor taste to add so much negativity surrounding body weight and body issues. Kind of disappointing she’s made that such a focus point of the books. If she left that out, this book and series would easily be five stars.
February 14, 2018
Class Is Not Dismissed
PLOT: Lulu, Theo, Madeline, and Garrett return for the summer to the School Of Fear "seemingly cured" from the last book. But before they can even put their bags down good, they're informed by Schmity (and a distraught Mrs. Wellington) that there have been robberies going around town. As well as the burglary that's taken place in the School for some of her most valuable items. And then they're introduced to a new student who calls herself "Hay Hay" (with her blunt ferret) whose fear is being alone. So they set out on the trail to find the thief and follow a note that says to meet them in an unknown location. But the burglar isn't the only one that wants to see the demise of the school. Could there be a traitor in their mist?
MY THOUGHTS: We're introduced to new character (Hay Hay) who wasn't the most likable of characters. Even though I found her annoying as a character, I found her "ferret's" thoughts about each of them slightly amusing. So I actually liked "the ferret" (coughs Hay Hay) more than Hay Hay when she was being herself. Just like in the first book (School Of Fear) there was a lot of back and forth of really good snark between the characters. Particularly Theo and Lulu. They both had the BEST lines in Class Is Not Dismissed. The first part of the plot kind of bombed with the kidnapping. When I found out *who* the kidnappers were and they're reasons, I groaned like you have *got* to be kidding me. Though although some of the things they named were lame, I guess reasonably if I were an animal lover and I felt that passionately about the mistreatment of animals, and I knew someone was mistreating an animal I would have wanted something done about it. So although the neighbors came off as absurd at least their intentions/hearts were in the right place. They really didn't care about all Mrs. Wellington's "valuables" (wigs, jewels, etc). They told her she could have all that stuff back. They just wanted Macaroni to get the care he deserved. As for the second plot, I guess there's proof that there's someone for everyone in this world. If someone actually *married* Mrs. Wellington one of *the* most ridiculous characters in creation single ladies there’s still hope.It was touching that the kid's all came together for Madeline and Mrs. Wellington but it must have been a slow news day for this reporter. This lady is OLD! This school is all in her life that she has. She's a former, washed up, beauty queen. Why go after *her?*. I didn't know that it was *that* publicized about Abernathy. I really don't see her broadcasting that. If I remember correctly in the first book she's very tight-lipped about "her failure with her former student". Maybe I can see how a mysterious former student disappearing never to be heard from again around the time it happened *might* cause some attention but it's been YEARS! To the people in that town probably this isn't news to them anymore if they've heard rumors. So I think the reporter would just be digging up old dirt with this article. Then I don't know if what Hay-Hay did in the end excused what she did. I didn't buy her whole "Oh she's my bestie too. Besties don't keep things from each other." excuse. It's kind of like a hidden lesson that you can't just go around assuming people are your friends quick. She found out in the end that who she thought she could trust turned out not to have good intentions. But then I don't really feel sorry for her because I don't think she was that innocent. Hay-Hay is a coward! She's quick to do hurtful things and then can't own up to them. And I'm glad Theo gives her a good telling off. The end felt *too easy*. I find it hard to believe that this little, lying, girl that can't sing a note captivates this grown man that's been living in a forest for YEARS. So much that he's now under her spell and lures him back into civilization when no one else could by just the sound of her voice. Unh hunh. But it was interesting to hear about Abernathy's backstory and other than the part about him choosing to live in a forest (because uh WHY when he could have just run away, and been a recluse. Really don't get the forest bit.) Oddly enough his fear is logically enough explained. I laughed because they kept telling him if Mrs. Wellington were their step-mother they'd be scared too. TOO TRUE!
RATING: 5
PLOT: Lulu, Theo, Madeline, and Garrett return for the summer to the School Of Fear "seemingly cured" from the last book. But before they can even put their bags down good, they're informed by Schmity (and a distraught Mrs. Wellington) that there have been robberies going around town. As well as the burglary that's taken place in the School for some of her most valuable items. And then they're introduced to a new student who calls herself "Hay Hay" (with her blunt ferret) whose fear is being alone. So they set out on the trail to find the thief and follow a note that says to meet them in an unknown location. But the burglar isn't the only one that wants to see the demise of the school. Could there be a traitor in their mist?
MY THOUGHTS: We're introduced to new character (Hay Hay) who wasn't the most likable of characters. Even though I found her annoying as a character, I found her "ferret's" thoughts about each of them slightly amusing. So I actually liked "the ferret" (coughs Hay Hay) more than Hay Hay when she was being herself. Just like in the first book (School Of Fear) there was a lot of back and forth of really good snark between the characters. Particularly Theo and Lulu. They both had the BEST lines in Class Is Not Dismissed. The first part of the plot kind of bombed with the kidnapping. When I found out *who* the kidnappers were and they're reasons, I groaned like you have *got* to be kidding me. Though although some of the things they named were lame, I guess reasonably if I were an animal lover and I felt that passionately about the mistreatment of animals, and I knew someone was mistreating an animal I would have wanted something done about it. So although the neighbors came off as absurd at least their intentions/hearts were in the right place. They really didn't care about all Mrs. Wellington's "valuables" (wigs, jewels, etc). They told her she could have all that stuff back. They just wanted Macaroni to get the care he deserved. As for the second plot, I guess there's proof that there's someone for everyone in this world. If someone actually *married* Mrs. Wellington one of *the* most ridiculous characters in creation single ladies there’s still hope.It was touching that the kid's all came together for Madeline and Mrs. Wellington but it must have been a slow news day for this reporter. This lady is OLD! This school is all in her life that she has. She's a former, washed up, beauty queen. Why go after *her?*. I didn't know that it was *that* publicized about Abernathy. I really don't see her broadcasting that. If I remember correctly in the first book she's very tight-lipped about "her failure with her former student". Maybe I can see how a mysterious former student disappearing never to be heard from again around the time it happened *might* cause some attention but it's been YEARS! To the people in that town probably this isn't news to them anymore if they've heard rumors. So I think the reporter would just be digging up old dirt with this article. Then I don't know if what Hay-Hay did in the end excused what she did. I didn't buy her whole "Oh she's my bestie too. Besties don't keep things from each other." excuse. It's kind of like a hidden lesson that you can't just go around assuming people are your friends quick. She found out in the end that who she thought she could trust turned out not to have good intentions. But then I don't really feel sorry for her because I don't think she was that innocent. Hay-Hay is a coward! She's quick to do hurtful things and then can't own up to them. And I'm glad Theo gives her a good telling off. The end felt *too easy*. I find it hard to believe that this little, lying, girl that can't sing a note captivates this grown man that's been living in a forest for YEARS. So much that he's now under her spell and lures him back into civilization when no one else could by just the sound of her voice. Unh hunh. But it was interesting to hear about Abernathy's backstory and other than the part about him choosing to live in a forest (because uh WHY when he could have just run away, and been a recluse. Really don't get the forest bit.) Oddly enough his fear is logically enough explained. I laughed because they kept telling him if Mrs. Wellington were their step-mother they'd be scared too. TOO TRUE!
RATING: 5
July 16, 2019
Inhalt: Noch einmal müssen Theo, Madelaine, Lulu und Garrison zurück ins Phobinasium um sich ihren Ängsten zu stellen. Doch die Leiterin Mrs Wellington wird nicht nur von einem Einbrecher um ihre Perücken gebracht, sondern es gibt eine neue Schülerin. Hyacinth hat große Angst vor dem Alleinsein und bringt die anderen mit ihrer Anhänglichkeit fast um den Verstand.
Art des Buches: Kinderbuch mit nach oben offener Grenze.
Wie fand ich das Buch? Das Buch ist herrlich skurril und hat mir genauso gut, wie der erste Teil gefallen. Das Phobinasium ist ein Institut, in dem Kinder auf äußerst unkonventionelle Art, von ihren Ängsten befreit werden sollen. So fürchtet sich Garrison vor Wasser, Madelaine vor Insekten, Theo bespitzelt seine Familie aus Angst, dass ihnen etwas Schreckliches geschieht und Lulu hat Angst vor engen Räumen. Ich mag die verrückten Ideen und Charaktere und das Bitten um Toleranz, gegenüber Menschen, deren Ängste man vielleicht nicht nachvollziehen kann. Ganz nebenbei werden Schönheitswettbewerbe für Hunde ein wenig auf die Schippe genommen.
Gab es etwas zum Nachdenken und/oder Nachforschen? Das große Thema hier ist Freundschaft und das man diese nicht erzwingen kann. Über jedem Kapitel wird ein Fachbegriff für eine Phobie genannt und erklärt mit dem Hinweis: Jeder hat vor etwas Angst.
3 passende Wörter zum Buch? Phobien – Schönheitswettbewerb - Freundschaft
Wem empfehlen? Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass Kinder die unter Ängsten leiden, sich durch das Buch besser verstanden fühlen. Die Kinder haben alle unter einer Phobie zu leiden, können aber doch zu kleinen Helden werden, auch wenn es einmal Rückschritte in der Angstbewältigung gibt. Freundschaft und das Ernstnehmen der Ängste, geben Sicherheit, die man bei Panik gut gebrauchen kann. Und letztlich: Wer ist absolut furchtlos?
Art des Buches: Kinderbuch mit nach oben offener Grenze.
Wie fand ich das Buch? Das Buch ist herrlich skurril und hat mir genauso gut, wie der erste Teil gefallen. Das Phobinasium ist ein Institut, in dem Kinder auf äußerst unkonventionelle Art, von ihren Ängsten befreit werden sollen. So fürchtet sich Garrison vor Wasser, Madelaine vor Insekten, Theo bespitzelt seine Familie aus Angst, dass ihnen etwas Schreckliches geschieht und Lulu hat Angst vor engen Räumen. Ich mag die verrückten Ideen und Charaktere und das Bitten um Toleranz, gegenüber Menschen, deren Ängste man vielleicht nicht nachvollziehen kann. Ganz nebenbei werden Schönheitswettbewerbe für Hunde ein wenig auf die Schippe genommen.
Gab es etwas zum Nachdenken und/oder Nachforschen? Das große Thema hier ist Freundschaft und das man diese nicht erzwingen kann. Über jedem Kapitel wird ein Fachbegriff für eine Phobie genannt und erklärt mit dem Hinweis: Jeder hat vor etwas Angst.
3 passende Wörter zum Buch? Phobien – Schönheitswettbewerb - Freundschaft
Wem empfehlen? Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass Kinder die unter Ängsten leiden, sich durch das Buch besser verstanden fühlen. Die Kinder haben alle unter einer Phobie zu leiden, können aber doch zu kleinen Helden werden, auch wenn es einmal Rückschritte in der Angstbewältigung gibt. Freundschaft und das Ernstnehmen der Ängste, geben Sicherheit, die man bei Panik gut gebrauchen kann. Und letztlich: Wer ist absolut furchtlos?
March 9, 2011
REVIEW
The four quirky students with the crazy phobias return for the second book in the School of Fear series. This time around, a new student is thrown into the mix. Nice!
New student, Hyacinth has a fear of being alone and this makes her very clingy. Hyacinth does everything in her power to never be alone and this makes for some over-the-top situations. My favorite character is still Madeleine though.
While the children are facing their unresolved fears once again, they are also wrapped up in a mystery involving a burglar at the school. They must dig deep and work together to save the School of Fear from being closed forever.
Class is not Dismissed! is a humorous and fun middle grade book. Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for sending this book for me to review.
RATING
4 Plot
5 Characters
4 Attention Grabbing
4 Girlie Meter
4 Ending
21 TOTAL
5 STARS
The four quirky students with the crazy phobias return for the second book in the School of Fear series. This time around, a new student is thrown into the mix. Nice!
New student, Hyacinth has a fear of being alone and this makes her very clingy. Hyacinth does everything in her power to never be alone and this makes for some over-the-top situations. My favorite character is still Madeleine though.
While the children are facing their unresolved fears once again, they are also wrapped up in a mystery involving a burglar at the school. They must dig deep and work together to save the School of Fear from being closed forever.
Class is not Dismissed! is a humorous and fun middle grade book. Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for sending this book for me to review.
RATING
4 Plot
5 Characters
4 Attention Grabbing
4 Girlie Meter
4 Ending
21 TOTAL
5 STARS
March 1, 2011
goooooooooooooooood!!!!!!!!!
November 5, 2018
Cute but not amazing. Always funny parts in this series. My son likes them!
October 7, 2019
This book is very interesting.
September 26, 2020
Ahh, yes! I finally got the second book and read it!! This series is sooo cute, and I forgot how much I loved it!!!!!!!! 1000% recommend!!!! (if you like reading middle grade books)
January 1, 2022
A spectacular sequel that continues the amazing first book with an equally adventurous journey, again challenging the kids' persistence compared to their fears.
January 31, 2012
October 31st 2011 Response:
So far in this book, I've met just a-few characters, but I can tell that this will be an amazing and exciting book with all of those fears of the kids! I'm predicting that when the new student comes into the camp program, all of the other 4 students will be really nice to her and will eventually start being scared of their fears again with a new-be in the camp while this is their 2nd year. If that happens, I wonder how It'll turn it will turn out.
November 8th 2011 Response:
I can't believe that Mrs.Wellington (the person in charge of School Of Fear) didn't know the rules of the highway, and got everyone in jail! I wonder if the parents will find out and how they'll react to the news!
I think that the reason why Hyacinth claims to speak ferret language, is because she can't be left alone and maybe she thinks that her classmates will always want to stay with a girl who would be left in ferret world all by herself.
This book is really interesting and cool, because in each chapter, I learn something new about each character-either thier personality, their smarts, their hobbies, thier looks, or something else relevant to characters.
November 22nd 2011 Response:
Since I had to take a break from this book, I had to review what I already read, so here is my response.
I can't believe that the Knapps were the thefts and that they want Macaroni (Mrs. Wellington's dog), and think that he's being not being treated properly.
I think that they should have kindly told Mrs. Wellington that her dog isn't properly treated, and that they could adopt Macaroni and give him better care.
I also can't believe that Hyacinth got lost from her group! (When they went to the pagaent to see if the thefts were there, they split up into groups.) What if her parents found out or she never got found? Wouldn't the camp be sued? I think that the kids should have split up differently-some with Mrs. Wellington, some with Schmidty- that way all of the kids would have an adult in charge, and most likely none of them would get lost.
November 29th 2011 Response:
This book is getting a little boring now, but I'm still going to read it because I'm really curious to know more about Abernathy(a man who used to go to School of Fear and is Mrs. Welligton's step-son.)
I wonder if the school will have to be shut down since Hyacinth told a lady about it and she'll be doing a big news report on the school. If they have to close it down, I wonder if Mrs. Wellington will open up a new school with a different name in a different location and ban Hyacinth from there.Maybe she'll take the case into court and make Hyacinth promise not to tell anyone about the school and the court issue/matter. If that does happen, then this book will be a lot more interesting than how it is now!
(This book actually has 310 pages, not 256 pages, so I'm not done with the book yet.)
December 3rd 2011 End Of The Book Response:
This book was actually a good book (before and after the boring parts of it) and I think that at the very end of it, it was very, very sweet! I also wonder if Abernathy will get over his fear of step mothers in the 3rd and final book, and I want to know if he was in the 1st book. If he was in the 1st book, then I think that he proabably ran away from Mrs Wellington if she tried to speak to him.
So far in this book, I've met just a-few characters, but I can tell that this will be an amazing and exciting book with all of those fears of the kids! I'm predicting that when the new student comes into the camp program, all of the other 4 students will be really nice to her and will eventually start being scared of their fears again with a new-be in the camp while this is their 2nd year. If that happens, I wonder how It'll turn it will turn out.
November 8th 2011 Response:
I can't believe that Mrs.Wellington (the person in charge of School Of Fear) didn't know the rules of the highway, and got everyone in jail! I wonder if the parents will find out and how they'll react to the news!
I think that the reason why Hyacinth claims to speak ferret language, is because she can't be left alone and maybe she thinks that her classmates will always want to stay with a girl who would be left in ferret world all by herself.
This book is really interesting and cool, because in each chapter, I learn something new about each character-either thier personality, their smarts, their hobbies, thier looks, or something else relevant to characters.
November 22nd 2011 Response:
Since I had to take a break from this book, I had to review what I already read, so here is my response.
I can't believe that the Knapps were the thefts and that they want Macaroni (Mrs. Wellington's dog), and think that he's being not being treated properly.
I think that they should have kindly told Mrs. Wellington that her dog isn't properly treated, and that they could adopt Macaroni and give him better care.
I also can't believe that Hyacinth got lost from her group! (When they went to the pagaent to see if the thefts were there, they split up into groups.) What if her parents found out or she never got found? Wouldn't the camp be sued? I think that the kids should have split up differently-some with Mrs. Wellington, some with Schmidty- that way all of the kids would have an adult in charge, and most likely none of them would get lost.
November 29th 2011 Response:
This book is getting a little boring now, but I'm still going to read it because I'm really curious to know more about Abernathy(a man who used to go to School of Fear and is Mrs. Welligton's step-son.)
I wonder if the school will have to be shut down since Hyacinth told a lady about it and she'll be doing a big news report on the school. If they have to close it down, I wonder if Mrs. Wellington will open up a new school with a different name in a different location and ban Hyacinth from there.Maybe she'll take the case into court and make Hyacinth promise not to tell anyone about the school and the court issue/matter. If that does happen, then this book will be a lot more interesting than how it is now!
(This book actually has 310 pages, not 256 pages, so I'm not done with the book yet.)
December 3rd 2011 End Of The Book Response:
This book was actually a good book (before and after the boring parts of it) and I think that at the very end of it, it was very, very sweet! I also wonder if Abernathy will get over his fear of step mothers in the 3rd and final book, and I want to know if he was in the 1st book. If he was in the 1st book, then I think that he proabably ran away from Mrs Wellington if she tried to speak to him.
April 22, 2021
I knew that his book was going to be terrible from the beguining, but I decided to read it anyway because I thought that it coud be fun to review, so here we are. First, let's talk about the characters, they are the same two-dimentional cardboard cut outs than before, except for Theo who has managed to become even more annoying than before.
And then there's Dahlia, she is horrible. I remember that when I first read this book when I was younger I hated her, and my feelings have not changed since then. She is completely and utterly insufferable. She never shuts up, is constantly calling people names, singing and has a ferret named Salad that I want to strangle with my own hands. Not only that, but Dahlia is also foul-mouthed and prejudiced. She will randomly insult the other characters and then blame it on the ferret. I think the author made her purposly annoying because all the other annoying characters are fed up with her. Why would you write that into your book?
There's barely any plot in the book, it all feels like set up for the next one. A thief is stealing things from the house, but it turns out it was a crazy couple that were mad at Mrs Wellington for not treating her dog like a human child. I'm pretty sure people like that exist in real life.
So the whole point of the school is that it's supposed to be secret because their methods are unconventional, but I call bullshit on that because people believe weirder things, just google The Goop Lap. Speaking of Mrs Wellington's "methods", we never learn what those are. So now the school is in danger because Dahlia told a journalist about it, which is not actually a problem because her only source is a ten year old girl that talks to a ferret, no one is going to believe that.
The journalist somehow knows about Mrs Wellington's step-son who lives in the woods. Its explained that, because Mrs Wellington could not help him, then her career is over. That doesn't make any sense. All therapists have patients with failed treatments but that doesn't put them out of bussines. It's important to mention that I don't think Mrs Wellington is a therapist or has a career, but whatever. No one seems to care that Mrs Wellington married her patient's father, which is shady as hell.
This series is terrible, but I'll read the last one because I already have it and I'll probably finish it in three days.
And then there's Dahlia, she is horrible. I remember that when I first read this book when I was younger I hated her, and my feelings have not changed since then. She is completely and utterly insufferable. She never shuts up, is constantly calling people names, singing and has a ferret named Salad that I want to strangle with my own hands. Not only that, but Dahlia is also foul-mouthed and prejudiced. She will randomly insult the other characters and then blame it on the ferret. I think the author made her purposly annoying because all the other annoying characters are fed up with her. Why would you write that into your book?
There's barely any plot in the book, it all feels like set up for the next one. A thief is stealing things from the house, but it turns out it was a crazy couple that were mad at Mrs Wellington for not treating her dog like a human child. I'm pretty sure people like that exist in real life.
So the whole point of the school is that it's supposed to be secret because their methods are unconventional, but I call bullshit on that because people believe weirder things, just google The Goop Lap. Speaking of Mrs Wellington's "methods", we never learn what those are. So now the school is in danger because Dahlia told a journalist about it, which is not actually a problem because her only source is a ten year old girl that talks to a ferret, no one is going to believe that.
The journalist somehow knows about Mrs Wellington's step-son who lives in the woods. Its explained that, because Mrs Wellington could not help him, then her career is over. That doesn't make any sense. All therapists have patients with failed treatments but that doesn't put them out of bussines. It's important to mention that I don't think Mrs Wellington is a therapist or has a career, but whatever. No one seems to care that Mrs Wellington married her patient's father, which is shady as hell.
This series is terrible, but I'll read the last one because I already have it and I'll probably finish it in three days.
January 17, 2011
Do you have a fear? In the second book of School of Fear, the foursome have been requested by Mrs.Wellington for a second mandatory year at The School of Fear. Facing their fears is terrifying enough, but when the four of them learn that they will be joined by a fifth student,Hyhy, things start to get even scarier. Even worse, the students quickly find themselves tasked with saving their school. And because failing means spending the rest of their lives with their fears, this is one test they all plan to pass!!
I absolutely positivley LOVED this book. It really lived up to School of Fear and even pased it. It made you feel like you were one of the four students and you got annoyed by Hyhy and her "talking" hamster. You could really feel like part of the story, and Class is Not Dismissed really shows how important friendship and sticking together is.
I would recommend this to any one who likes to get really deep into thier books and any one who liked School of Fear. Do not read this if you have not read School of Fear, because it will give away some of the parts and you won't be as happy.
I absolutely positivley LOVED this book. It really lived up to School of Fear and even pased it. It made you feel like you were one of the four students and you got annoyed by Hyhy and her "talking" hamster. You could really feel like part of the story, and Class is Not Dismissed really shows how important friendship and sticking together is.
I would recommend this to any one who likes to get really deep into thier books and any one who liked School of Fear. Do not read this if you have not read School of Fear, because it will give away some of the parts and you won't be as happy.
February 10, 2017
i want raed
March 18, 2012
This is a fun, cute follow up to School of Fear, although I think I liked the first one a little more. The plot is a little more far-fetched with this one, but I still really liked it. The characters are as charming and goofy as ever (though I'm sure they'd be pretty irritating in real life), and the way they interact with each other cracks me up. I enjoyed learning more about one of the mysterious characters from the first book and getting to know Mrs. Wellington's background a bit. The story ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion of the trilogy.
December 17, 2015
I really don't have much to say about this book. There was some silly parts, some annoying parts, and some riculous parts. As far as the plot goes, there really wasnt one when you compare it to the first book. It's almost as if this whole book was just written to set up for the next one. There was nothing going on to help the kids continue to get over their fears, so I feel like that makes this book a bit counterproductive, but oh well. Maybe I'll read the next book, maybe I won't. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.
September 19, 2012
The second installment in the series. Seperti buku sebelumnya, Mrs. Wellington is so eccentric that it's hard to believe it. Theo, Lulu, Madeleine dan Garrison masih punya fobia. But at least dalam kondisi yangtidak separah di buku pertama. Ada tambahan tokoh baru, and man she was annoying. Lebih menarik dibanding buku pertama, terutama mungkin karena chemistry antar tokoh sudah terbangun dari buku pertama.
November 17, 2010
I laughed out loud several times. The characters are ridiculous and their conversations made me laugh. Although there was a new character who I didn't like too much. She droves me nuts. The plot was okay this time, not as good as the first one. And it ended very abruptly, which must mean there's another book so come....
May 31, 2011
This book is pretty good. It's about the returning of the four people that had phobias, as described in the first book. (You might want to read the first book before this one, though.) Then, a new person came along. I felt both sad and mad at her for telling the "opponent" everything. Anyway, this is a pretty good book, so people should go and read this. ☺
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2011
I absolutely loved the little girl talking to her ferret and the teacher entering a beauty contest for pets. I thought the story was very funny, sad, and extremely unique. I read the first book and happen to like this one much better than it for it's wording and ideas that are funny and cute. The exact opposite of what a boring book would be like.
December 26, 2010
Good book. It is a very good sequel.
January 29, 2011
Just as good as the first!
May 25, 2014
Page after page of unfunny unlikeable characters and absolutely no plot. Did not finish.
July 4, 2015
The first book was the best. This book was not as twisty plotwise.
January 2, 2022
A year and some change later, I finally felt ready to return to this series. It went about as well as I expected. The good news is that I finally figured out why I quit in the first place. That bad news is it was not the least bit fun figuring it out.
Every problem I had with the first book is magnified in this one. The only change - for the worse I might add - is the addition of new student Hyacinth.
I don't find the comedy in these books all that funny. However, it is obvious when Daneshvari is trying to make one and I recognize the effort even if I don't like it since humor can be subjective. That being said this falls under a category I absolutely despise: annoying = funny.
Hyacinth is a nightmare because her fear is of being alone. She's clingy to the nth degree. Alright, that makes sense, it's literally her fear. What doesn't make sense is why this automatically means she has to be obnoxious.
The broader issue is the characters are poorly written. Because the characters are so one dimensional Hyacinth has absolutely no other characteristics to fall back on other than her fear. Her entire personality is about how she and the others are such great friends and will be friends forever etc etc. It's meant to be amusing that she's so out of touch; the other characters' bemused reactions to her make this clear. But, it's not funny to have a character trample all the other kids' boundaries, be indulged.
This is related to the fact that this book does not fulfill its premise; these kids are never given proper help for their fears. In fact, as the book unfolds it becomes increasingly clear that Dasheshvari is, consciously or not, contemptuous of childrens' fears.
If you read the author blurb at the end of this book or the last one (I can’t remember which or if it’s both) Daneshvari says that part of her reasoning for writing this book is that she, herself, was a fearful child. As such you would think she’d have a lot of sympathy for phobias. Yet, the opposite is true. Class is NOT Dismissed reads like someone who was repeatedly told that their fears were dumb until they internalized it, not someone who was given a healthy safe space to work through them. This is reflected in Mrs. Wellington’s awful style of 'therapy' - if you can even call it that.
To be fair, I don’t believe that the fears can’t be presented as humorous in some fashion. They definitely are dramatized to a certain degree. However, at the end of the day regardless of how silly these fears seem from the outside looking in they are serious to the kids. Mrs. Wellington can not be any more transparent about finding their fears and behaviors silly.
To kids being scared of something is usually a really big deal. It's overwhelming because these feelings are new. Kids are experiencing everything for the first time so when they go through something it often is the absolute worst thing in the world since they don’t have enough life events under their belt to put it in perspective. Instead of introducing potential treatment options in order to explore the variety of choices and/or have fun testing them out, the book via Mrs. Wellington treats all fears as if they are inherently stupid. By extension, kids are dumb for being afraid. She doesn't provide actual proper coping skills at the School of Fear because she can’t provide aid for something she does not fundamentally believe in.
You really see this disdain with the inclusion of Hyacinth.
Originally I thought that Hyacinth had too serious a fear for the book due to how debilitating it was compared to the rest of the now mostly fearless cast. But, then I thought about Theo who is terrified of death which can be equally as grave as hers. Surprisingly, I find Theo to be a very well done depiction of an anxious child. Ruling that out, I came to the conclusion that Hyacinth actually just furthers my point about the disdain for the real psychological impact fear has on kids.
Hyacinth's fear would not too much for this book if she was going to get legitimate help rather than be treated solely as a joke. The first book was similarly flawed when it came to the fears, but I can acknowledge there was at least a plan engineered by Mrs. Wellington even though I didn’t like it. Hyacinth, as it stands, is above the pay grade for the setup. I didn’t find Mrs. Wellington to be a helpful or good teacher at all in the first book so you’d think nothing had changed. Unfortunately, somehow she manages to top her uselessness by miles. The realism of Hyacinth’s fears exposes the rotten core.
I already stated how Hyacinth barely has a character which is still true. That being said, she unintentionally I’m sure, is a pretty spot on showcase of how the fear of being alone might manifest in a 10-year-old if she's given no proper guidance whatsoever to combat that fear. Her parents are at a total loss and it’s pretty obvious that not knowing what to do has caused them to unwittingly contribute significantly to her worsening condition. When she gets to the School of Fear it’s only more of the same neglect though this time it’s on purpose as punishment because Mrs. Wellington finds her annoying.
Stepping out of the confines of the book to look at this from a realistic point of view I can see what would benefit Hyacinth, though I’m not a therapist or psychologist or anything so I can only base this off of what I know as a layman. Looking at Hyacinth’s fears I don't think alternative therapy is the best option for Hyacinth, at least before trying more traditional avenues first. All she seems to need is consistency, strong boundaries and above all else compassion.
The quirky ‘therapy’ Mrs. Wellington offers is not a substitute for a real program.
Healthy outlets for the fears come second to the humor of a situation. I’m all for poking fun at your experiences. Humor is often a way to cope. But, the point of this book is for the kids to eventually learn to deal with the fears. Therefore, underneath the humor there still needs to be actual advice preferably something that a kid reading this who may be suffering could get some use out of. I’m not saying all middle grade books or books for children are required to be educational or heavy in their messaging. What I am saying is that a book that is about kids dealing with fears should in some way have suggestions for dealing with fears since it’s an actionable theme.
It feels like Daneshvari is not taking the actual subject matter seriously. And contrary to her intentions she’s not simply being funny. It feels like she just doesn't have a good grasp on how or why these fears even matter in the first place.
The resolution of the book is a cherry on top of the garbage can.
Mrs. Wellington does absolutely nothing to help these kids. Like I mentioned before in the first book she has a plan. By contrast, this entire book is a wild goose chase that is basically a side quest paid way too much attention. I thought there would be a twist like before where this was somehow all a part of some scheme but this was all selfishly just about Mrs. Wellington while the kids got dragged along for the ride.
Hyacinth has to learn her lesson incidentally when she messes up royally. She has a breakthrough entirely independent of anything Mrs. Wellington does. Plus the nature of the breakthrough means she could have had it at any point as long as she'd recognize that she'd hurt other people. It gives the impression that if she had enough time she’d have eventually eased up on her own which is not a good look for a specialized school of this purported caliber.
I focus exclusively on Hyacinth in this review because the other kids have no bearing on the plot. Mrs. Wellington reveals she knows they’ve just gotten better at obscuring their fears, but then the kids go on to not be forced into situations where they must face their fears nor do they seem all that afraid in general either. Theo's naturally anxious personality makes that his default position so it doesn’t count. And while Madeline does have a freak out it’s from a very real incident that would freak anyone out, not just a person with a phobia of bugs so I don’t count that either.
Mrs. Wellington herself is horrible. She has none of the charm or wisdom of other, better known mentor archetypes. I already expressed how needlessly nasty she is. An added backstory of how she actively harmed a student by selfishly engaging in an affair with his father killed the tiniest bit of sympathy I had for her. Smitty, her companion, is legally blind yet Mrs. Wellington insists it's all in his head and implies he's faking it for attention. Yeah, what a lovely person to be taking care of bunch of kids.
I hated this book. It was a chore in every way. I didn’t expect to like it since I didn’t like the first one. But, I wish it had been of similar quality so the ordeal would have passed quicker. And if you were wondering, yes, the fatphobia in regards to Theo is alive and well.
Every problem I had with the first book is magnified in this one. The only change - for the worse I might add - is the addition of new student Hyacinth.
I don't find the comedy in these books all that funny. However, it is obvious when Daneshvari is trying to make one and I recognize the effort even if I don't like it since humor can be subjective. That being said this falls under a category I absolutely despise: annoying = funny.
Hyacinth is a nightmare because her fear is of being alone. She's clingy to the nth degree. Alright, that makes sense, it's literally her fear. What doesn't make sense is why this automatically means she has to be obnoxious.
The broader issue is the characters are poorly written. Because the characters are so one dimensional Hyacinth has absolutely no other characteristics to fall back on other than her fear. Her entire personality is about how she and the others are such great friends and will be friends forever etc etc. It's meant to be amusing that she's so out of touch; the other characters' bemused reactions to her make this clear. But, it's not funny to have a character trample all the other kids' boundaries, be indulged.
This is related to the fact that this book does not fulfill its premise; these kids are never given proper help for their fears. In fact, as the book unfolds it becomes increasingly clear that Dasheshvari is, consciously or not, contemptuous of childrens' fears.
If you read the author blurb at the end of this book or the last one (I can’t remember which or if it’s both) Daneshvari says that part of her reasoning for writing this book is that she, herself, was a fearful child. As such you would think she’d have a lot of sympathy for phobias. Yet, the opposite is true. Class is NOT Dismissed reads like someone who was repeatedly told that their fears were dumb until they internalized it, not someone who was given a healthy safe space to work through them. This is reflected in Mrs. Wellington’s awful style of 'therapy' - if you can even call it that.
To be fair, I don’t believe that the fears can’t be presented as humorous in some fashion. They definitely are dramatized to a certain degree. However, at the end of the day regardless of how silly these fears seem from the outside looking in they are serious to the kids. Mrs. Wellington can not be any more transparent about finding their fears and behaviors silly.
To kids being scared of something is usually a really big deal. It's overwhelming because these feelings are new. Kids are experiencing everything for the first time so when they go through something it often is the absolute worst thing in the world since they don’t have enough life events under their belt to put it in perspective. Instead of introducing potential treatment options in order to explore the variety of choices and/or have fun testing them out, the book via Mrs. Wellington treats all fears as if they are inherently stupid. By extension, kids are dumb for being afraid. She doesn't provide actual proper coping skills at the School of Fear because she can’t provide aid for something she does not fundamentally believe in.
You really see this disdain with the inclusion of Hyacinth.
Originally I thought that Hyacinth had too serious a fear for the book due to how debilitating it was compared to the rest of the now mostly fearless cast. But, then I thought about Theo who is terrified of death which can be equally as grave as hers. Surprisingly, I find Theo to be a very well done depiction of an anxious child. Ruling that out, I came to the conclusion that Hyacinth actually just furthers my point about the disdain for the real psychological impact fear has on kids.
Hyacinth's fear would not too much for this book if she was going to get legitimate help rather than be treated solely as a joke. The first book was similarly flawed when it came to the fears, but I can acknowledge there was at least a plan engineered by Mrs. Wellington even though I didn’t like it. Hyacinth, as it stands, is above the pay grade for the setup. I didn’t find Mrs. Wellington to be a helpful or good teacher at all in the first book so you’d think nothing had changed. Unfortunately, somehow she manages to top her uselessness by miles. The realism of Hyacinth’s fears exposes the rotten core.
I already stated how Hyacinth barely has a character which is still true. That being said, she unintentionally I’m sure, is a pretty spot on showcase of how the fear of being alone might manifest in a 10-year-old if she's given no proper guidance whatsoever to combat that fear. Her parents are at a total loss and it’s pretty obvious that not knowing what to do has caused them to unwittingly contribute significantly to her worsening condition. When she gets to the School of Fear it’s only more of the same neglect though this time it’s on purpose as punishment because Mrs. Wellington finds her annoying.
Stepping out of the confines of the book to look at this from a realistic point of view I can see what would benefit Hyacinth, though I’m not a therapist or psychologist or anything so I can only base this off of what I know as a layman. Looking at Hyacinth’s fears I don't think alternative therapy is the best option for Hyacinth, at least before trying more traditional avenues first. All she seems to need is consistency, strong boundaries and above all else compassion.
The quirky ‘therapy’ Mrs. Wellington offers is not a substitute for a real program.
Healthy outlets for the fears come second to the humor of a situation. I’m all for poking fun at your experiences. Humor is often a way to cope. But, the point of this book is for the kids to eventually learn to deal with the fears. Therefore, underneath the humor there still needs to be actual advice preferably something that a kid reading this who may be suffering could get some use out of. I’m not saying all middle grade books or books for children are required to be educational or heavy in their messaging. What I am saying is that a book that is about kids dealing with fears should in some way have suggestions for dealing with fears since it’s an actionable theme.
It feels like Daneshvari is not taking the actual subject matter seriously. And contrary to her intentions she’s not simply being funny. It feels like she just doesn't have a good grasp on how or why these fears even matter in the first place.
The resolution of the book is a cherry on top of the garbage can.
Mrs. Wellington does absolutely nothing to help these kids. Like I mentioned before in the first book she has a plan. By contrast, this entire book is a wild goose chase that is basically a side quest paid way too much attention. I thought there would be a twist like before where this was somehow all a part of some scheme but this was all selfishly just about Mrs. Wellington while the kids got dragged along for the ride.
Hyacinth has to learn her lesson incidentally when she messes up royally. She has a breakthrough entirely independent of anything Mrs. Wellington does. Plus the nature of the breakthrough means she could have had it at any point as long as she'd recognize that she'd hurt other people. It gives the impression that if she had enough time she’d have eventually eased up on her own which is not a good look for a specialized school of this purported caliber.
I focus exclusively on Hyacinth in this review because the other kids have no bearing on the plot. Mrs. Wellington reveals she knows they’ve just gotten better at obscuring their fears, but then the kids go on to not be forced into situations where they must face their fears nor do they seem all that afraid in general either. Theo's naturally anxious personality makes that his default position so it doesn’t count. And while Madeline does have a freak out it’s from a very real incident that would freak anyone out, not just a person with a phobia of bugs so I don’t count that either.
Mrs. Wellington herself is horrible. She has none of the charm or wisdom of other, better known mentor archetypes. I already expressed how needlessly nasty she is. An added backstory of how she actively harmed a student by selfishly engaging in an affair with his father killed the tiniest bit of sympathy I had for her. Smitty, her companion, is legally blind yet Mrs. Wellington insists it's all in his head and implies he's faking it for attention. Yeah, what a lovely person to be taking care of bunch of kids.
I hated this book. It was a chore in every way. I didn’t expect to like it since I didn’t like the first one. But, I wish it had been of similar quality so the ordeal would have passed quicker. And if you were wondering, yes, the fatphobia in regards to Theo is alive and well.
March 18, 2025
I had a mental note to self to continue this series if I found the rest of the books, but... I'm not sure why. My experience reading this volume isn't remotely what I remember from reading the first book. In fact, I'm frankly irritated by Hyacinth ("Hyhy") in particular, as though Daneshvari specifically went out of the way to make a perfectly unlikeable character.
For one, her last name "Hicklebee-Riyatulle" isn't remotely an Indian name,* despite her being half-Indian, which takes me immediately out of the story since I work with Indians on the regular (and I do mean from India, to be clear). For another, her completely overbearing personality (stemming from her fear of being alone?) meaning she insists on giving herself and everyone else terrible nicknames that they Do Not Like (Mad Mad, Gar Gar, Thee Thee), flatly singing at random intervals, and being rather touchy-feely to the point of crushing Theo's hand and planning her marriage to... *somebody.*
I feel like the only way I finished this was out of spite, since there's NO WAY an author with the backing of a major publisher would just introduce a completely unredeemable main character, but it's overall just as slow as the first book with much less of the charm (the original four still have their fears, but they're only barely able to hide it). At least Mrs. Wellington FINALLY informs Theo that *constantly monitoring his family will not affect whether they are injured/ill/killed* but WILL waste his otherwise perfectly good life by spending it all on futilely monitoring his family. At least there's that.
I get fear, I really do. It's just exasperating reading about overcoming it in this (wholly unorthodox) manner.
Does Hyacinth get better? ...sort of. It's like Rufus of the Deponia games: He's an absolutely horrible person with no redeeming qualities, but at the VERY END of the game, he'll do something really good and noble that *almost* makes him likeable. (At least, until the next game, when he's IMMEDIATELY back to being terrible.) So, somewhat predictable ending, but any book worth getting picked up by a major publisher should at LEAST have that much.
Will I read the conclusion? ...probably not. I do find myself getting tired of a series as soon as I finish it as of late, but this one I very nearly felt done by the first few chapters.
*"Oh, and Punchalower IS a real name?" I ignore white people names, sorry. Not particularly concerned about their depiction, since white people STILL comprise like 90% of English-speaking media.
For one, her last name "Hicklebee-Riyatulle" isn't remotely an Indian name,* despite her being half-Indian, which takes me immediately out of the story since I work with Indians on the regular (and I do mean from India, to be clear). For another, her completely overbearing personality (stemming from her fear of being alone?) meaning she insists on giving herself and everyone else terrible nicknames that they Do Not Like (Mad Mad, Gar Gar, Thee Thee), flatly singing at random intervals, and being rather touchy-feely to the point of crushing Theo's hand and planning her marriage to... *somebody.*
I feel like the only way I finished this was out of spite, since there's NO WAY an author with the backing of a major publisher would just introduce a completely unredeemable main character, but it's overall just as slow as the first book with much less of the charm (the original four still have their fears, but they're only barely able to hide it). At least Mrs. Wellington FINALLY informs Theo that *constantly monitoring his family will not affect whether they are injured/ill/killed* but WILL waste his otherwise perfectly good life by spending it all on futilely monitoring his family. At least there's that.
I get fear, I really do. It's just exasperating reading about overcoming it in this (wholly unorthodox) manner.
Does Hyacinth get better? ...sort of. It's like Rufus of the Deponia games: He's an absolutely horrible person with no redeeming qualities, but at the VERY END of the game, he'll do something really good and noble that *almost* makes him likeable. (At least, until the next game, when he's IMMEDIATELY back to being terrible.) So, somewhat predictable ending, but any book worth getting picked up by a major publisher should at LEAST have that much.
Will I read the conclusion? ...probably not. I do find myself getting tired of a series as soon as I finish it as of late, but this one I very nearly felt done by the first few chapters.
*"Oh, and Punchalower IS a real name?" I ignore white people names, sorry. Not particularly concerned about their depiction, since white people STILL comprise like 90% of English-speaking media.
January 30, 2018
In this hilarious follow-up to School of Fear, eccentric headmaster Mrs. Wellington demands requests the presence of Madeleine, Theo, Lulu, and Garrison for a mandatory summer of retraining after discovering that each of her former students has secretly regressed. Facing their fears was terrifying enough, but when the foursome learns they'll be joined by a fifth student, things start to get even scarier.
To make matters worse, the students quickly find themselves tasked with saving their school. And because failing means spending the rest of their lives with unresolved phobias, this is one test they all plan to ace.
To make matters worse, the students quickly find themselves tasked with saving their school. And because failing means spending the rest of their lives with unresolved phobias, this is one test they all plan to ace.
November 3, 2016
This book showed that if you fail to do something, keep trying. It might be kind of silly for this book, but I think it shows a lesson. The strengths of this book was that it got into detail about everything in this book. The author made sure the reader understood what was happening. Another strength is that is clearly shows the point of view from every character. A weakness about this book is that it only describes what is happening in one setting or place. Also, the characters are not clearly described at the beginning of the book, so you get confused who is who.
December 6, 2020
Let's hope you're not too scared for the sequel as class is back in session. Along with the inclusion of a new student, there has been a mysterious burglar committing robberies around town. Instead of just facing their fears, they are tasked with saving their school. Nevertheless, this story still maintains its charm with its ridiculous characters and humor. Friendship is one of the key themes in this story and it really says a lot when you have kids afraid of something but are still willing to stick together.
December 18, 2016
This is a 3.5 book. I loved it and it was hilarious, but it's not the best. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of this series. There's a new girl at the school of fear and she's more than a little clingy. Lol, those types get on my nerves. I feel more than a little bad for some of the characters. After all, some of their worst fears were coming true. Anyway, an okay series, a nice plot, could've been better. Happy reading.
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