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Katie Cross
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Miss Mabel's School for Girls (The Network Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Katie Cross (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 3,324
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Never underestimate the power of a determined witch.

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has prepared for this moment her entire life:
the day she’ll enroll in the quietly famous magical school Miss Mabel’s School for Girls.

Winning a spot to work directly with Miss Mabel is a dangerous game.
Bianca soon faces enchanting spells, simmering potions, and the warmth of new friendships.

Unfortunately, Miss Mabel has her own evil plans—and if Bianca loses, she’s at the very center of them.

Bianca’s only hope lies within the power of her closely-held secrets that threaten her and everyone she loves.

Winner of IAN 2015's Outstanding Fantasy Book

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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Book 1 of 8
    The Network Series
  3. Print length
    324 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Publication date
    21 March 2014
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. See all details
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Total price: $48.95 + applicable tax
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Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.

Product description

About the Author

Katie Cross grew up in the mountains of Idaho, where she still loves to play when she gets the chance. If she's not writing, you can find her traveling, working as a pediatric nurse, trail running with her husband and two dogs, or curled up with a book and a cup of chai. Visit her at www.kcrosswriting.com --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J6AF12C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ KC Writing (21 March 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5508 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 324 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0991531906
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 3,324

About the author

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Katie Cross

Katie Cross

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Katie Cross grew up in the mountains of Idaho, where she still loves to play when she gets the chance.

Her mission is connect women with their best selves, to seek the divine in each one of us, and to prove that we can love ourselves—and accomplish all—despite opposition.

If she's not writing, you can find her traveling, adventuring with her kiddos, trail running with her husband and vizla dogs, or curled up with a good book and a cup of chai.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
3,324 global ratings

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Top reviews from Australia

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure magic, a fantastic read and series...
Reviewed in Australia on 2 March 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is not just for young adults.. it is beautifully written and magical created world. The characters are endearing and fun. It is rich and delicious, and there are no wasted scenes or words. This is great place start this amazing series, there are so many to read so there's no waiting. I read the series and loved it so much i bought this in audio too and then i bought the next book before i finished this one. Listening added a whole new dimension to Miss Mabel's...
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Kylie Atkinson
4.0 out of 5 stars Great magic series for teens (or even us oldies!)
Reviewed in Australia on 31 January 2022
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Great story from a new author to me. This first book sets up what’s sounds like an amazing series. The main character is a very strong, already capable witch attending a school so she can remove a curse that has been bestowed upon her, her mother and her grandmother. Full of magic, curses, betrayal, friendship, deception and family, there is plenty going on and lots of setting up for future books (friendships, who to trust, witching skills, political agendas, network structures etc).

I listened to the audio version of this and I found I had to speed it up to 1.5x. Perhaps it’s the Australian in me (we do tend to speak fast) but I do speed up most audio books to 1.2x/1.3x. I did like the readers multi voices, I was never confused on who was speaking. I’m about to delve straight in to the next book.
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Julie Morphett
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant
Reviewed in Australia on 8 July 2020
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I purchased Ms Mabel’s School for Girls for my 13 year old daughter who loves magically fantasy. I read it before her and couldn’t put it down. Cannot wait to start the second one. Thank you Katie Cross for such a perfect series for young girls and us young girls at heart.
One person found this helpful
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jennine.
5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! 💥💥💥💥💥
Reviewed in Australia on 17 November 2018
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I just loved this book. So much. I can see why it got a young adult award. I was captivated from the start and totally enjoyed it all the way through. I reaĺly hope her future books are as good because l think l have found in her, a new author to follow. I thoughly recommend this to fans of magic , witches and schools for young witches. 💥💥💥💥💥🤓
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Nikki D
3.0 out of 5 stars A bit meh.
Reviewed in Australia on 29 August 2017
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A bit meh.

The story was very detailed but it lacked a strong plot. The narrative would build up to an event and then kind of fizzle out, such as the Esbat meeting that was so important and hard to train for and then by the time B got to the meeting, nothing actually happened.
The unnecessary event at the end after Miss Mabel already had what she wanted annoyed the hell out of me and ensured that I wouldn't be reading the next book.
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Samara M
4.0 out of 5 stars Magical quests unfold
Reviewed in Australia on 4 October 2021
With a rushed entry interview for Miss Mabel's completed, Bianca throws herself really into the deep end by volunteering for a school competition in hopes of winning the ultimate prize of becoming assistant to Miss Mabel, not only head of the school but the one responsible for her family curse.

School for witches
Magic
Quests
Academic rivalry
Underdog odds
Villian you'll hate
Mystery

Pacing felt off in sections and I've got so many questions about the world building, like what happens to those that don't pass the entrance exam
At times despite the author valiant attempts to create empathy towards Bianca, I struggled to get behind her and was more motivated by my hatred for Miss Mabel. However I truly appreciated that the author didn't make the competition the sole focus of the book.
Nor did Bianca sink to the usual angst riddled low self-esteem antics that you'll usually pop up in YA stories.
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Trina H
5.0 out of 5 stars There is defiantly a villain
Reviewed in Australia on 12 November 2018
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There is a good person the lead character and a villain. The rest of the characters support these two. The characters are all well developed. Reminds a bit of Harry Potter books. Sad ending and can’t wait to read the next book. A long book worth the money for an audio.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Captured my interest from the first to the last page.
Reviewed in Australia on 16 August 2020
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Comparable to Harry Potter. It is a book you can get into and escape everyday problems
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and recommended
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2019
Verified Purchase
Katie Cross has managed to capture the darker essence of the Harry Potter world, mingle it with the spirit of friendship most girls would recognise from Mallory Towers, and present readers with an absorbing story set in an enthralling world of magic, intrigue, deception and mystery. Cross very eloquently provides enough description to set the scene, whilst allowing the freedom of the imagination to colour in the rest, and her use of 'show, not tell' was subtly seamless. Then story explores emotions of familial love, friendship, injustice and deep, burning rage in a way which goes further than Rowling did with Potter, although the parallels between the two can't be ignored. However, this opening book of the series is designed for an older reader than those starting out with Harry Potter, and the darkness of the tale is appropriately matched. The lines between right and wrong are both evident and blurred simultaneously - a reminder that real life can be just as confusing, especially to a teenager approaching adulthood.

Well written and smoothly flowing, it's been meticulously edited and well presented. There's also an opportunity to access the second book of the series free of charge - an offer I've happily taken advantage of, despite my teenage years being far behind me :) Thoroughly enjoyed and recommended!
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Hema Rao
5.0 out of 5 stars Just as good as reading a Harry Potter book
Reviewed in India on 11 July 2018
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A very well written story book based on magic skills. Just as good as reading a Harry Potter book!
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Jessica Pfeifer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, magical!
Reviewed in Germany on 30 June 2017
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I couldn't stop reading! Good that I started with it on vacation, so I could read this book basically in one go. It's easy to read and was very gripping right from the start. The story is exciting throughout the book I think, no boring parts for me. Towards the end it got very emotional. I guess because the whole story is told from Bianca's perspective, it's easy to get emotionally attached to her and really feel for her.
I had to buy and continue reading the second book right away and am pretty close to the end of the third one currently. I can't wait to read how it all ends! Although that will also be sad, because it will mean no more "updates" from Bianca.

A bit more background about me, maybe this can help someone decide if this book might be interesting for them as well:
I loved the Harry Potter series, which was my first attempt at reading fantasy. I just wanted to know what all this hype is about and then got totally hooked. Since then I'm trying to figure out which type of fantasy I really like, there's just so many different kinds. I haven't encountered a lot that I liked so far, but the network series is definitely very high on that list! I'm sure if you loved Harry Potter, you'll love this. There are a few paralleles that I noticed (especially in the beginning, thinking this is just a case of same story told a little bit differently), but there's also lots of unique things. Sorry for comparing, but like I said: it's really *not* the same, just a few common themes.
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Leetah Begallie
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Debut Novel That Does Not Feel Like a Debut Novel.
Reviewed in Canada on 31 March 2014
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Merry Meet!

Let me just start off by saying… This. Is. A. Wicked. Book.

True Story.

First of all, the plot is wonderful. It starts out seeming like it is going to be just another magical boarding school book and then it is like… Just kidding! I don’t want to give anything away so I will just leave it at that.

Second, the characters are really well written. They seem real. Truly. The protagonist, Bianca, is a strong, independent, teenager whom cares greatly about her family and wants to be able to save and protect them all. Leda, one of Bianca’s best friends, is awesome and reminds me of Luna Lovegood, except not really because she is really not the same but she is. Makes sense, right? Plus her name is awesome ;) (Just spelt wrong :P). Camille, Bianca’s other best friend, is the average teenage girl. She can be annoying at times but it is perfect because Bianca and Leda also think she is annoying at those times so it works great. Then there is Miss Mabel, the antagonist. She is freaky. Not her looks, but her personality. Basically, as far as I can tell after just one book, Miss Mabel has no heart. Period.

Third, the setting is wonderful. Letum Wood, the school, Chatham Castle, the set up of the Networks, all are vivid and awesome. I did feel at times that there was too little description but then I kept remembering that this is only the first book of a series and the rest will come!

And lastly, the writing itself is great. I love Cross’s subtlety. She never over explains or feeds the reader information. She tells you once, hints at things, and leaves things up to the reader’s imagination. As I read, I had so many questions and many of them were answered by the end, but also, many of them were not. And that is why I am now going to continuously bug Katie to get the next book in the Network Series completed and in my hands!

I whole-heartedly recommend this book!

So mote it be.
5 people found this helpful
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Belle Catherine
5.0 out of 5 stars Warm Bubbly Magical Feelings and NO DRAMA. Yay!
Reviewed in the United States on 27 March 2014
Verified Purchase
Mmmkay, let me tell you why you should rush off, buy this book and read it.

Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first installment in the Network Series and debut novel by the witty Katie Cross. I’m privy to enough background information to know this novel was written in seven weeks, but it doesn’t read as a rushed piece of work. In all honesty, I can say I was very pleasantly surprised and impressed!

The story follows protagonist Bianca, a sixteen-year-old witch who has enrolled at the esteemed Miss Mabel’s all-girls boarding school to learn the art of magic. Bianca is a bit of an oddity at the school, keeping her distance and making few friends, save two loveable characters (Leda and Camille). Her strangeness increases, by all appearances, when she becomes the first ever first-year student to enroll in the Competition, a three-stage event with the prize of becoming the renowned Miss Mabel’s Assistant.

Bianca isn’t motivated by a good education, however; she’s already got more than a few tricks up her sleeve. The maternal line of her family has inherited a deadly curse, cast generations ago by the deceiving Miss Mabel, and Bianca’s days are numbered unless she can persuade- or trick- the woman into removing it. But Miss Mabel is cunning, and Bianca will have to sacrifice more than a little before she can one up the evil witch.

The easiest way for me to summarize this novel is to use words like fun, cute and surprising. Think of a cross between your favorite boarding-school-setting, female protagonist books (the Mandy Series by Lois Gladys Leppard was mine, back in the day), a little Harry Potter and something very unique, very much Katie Cross.

The details and characters are really what made the story succeed for me. Flying messenger paper (who needs owls?), summoning spells to do the dusting (my heart literally swelled with pride), and other little aspects of the story is what truly made it unique, and drew my mind away from any comparisons I was inadvertently making.

The characters were charming, very individual and fun. Bianca had a discerning emotional maturity that threw me off a bit; I’m wary of the curse of the perfect protagonist, but Cross clearly has an agenda for that witch and I don’t think I’ll have the same feelings about that character as the series continues. I did love that Cross skipped right over the typical YA romantic interest/love triangle, it’s about time the YA crowd has a non-angsty heroine to look up to. (Leda was by far my favorite character, but telling you why would be a spoiler …)

The setting was cute, fun and well-developed; the plot had semi-predictable moments, but varied off the anticipated enough to keep me second-guessing and pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the writing of the story- it was clear to me that Cross knew her story intimately, from the quirks of her characters, to the relevance of each detail, to the twists of her plot. Cute excerpts:

“Camille, you’ll find your place here,” I said. “All of us wonder where we belong, or what’s ahead of us.”
—–--
“Absolutely not,” Leda cut her off. “I won’t tell you what it is, or when you’ll figure it out. Discovering it is half the battle, Camille. I won’t take that away from you.”
It was an incredibly mature thing for Leda to say, especially in light of her preceding heartless remarks, and for a moment I felt like we were a bunch of children trying to pretend like we were adults. But we weren’t, nor were we close to it, and I felt grateful. We really didn’t know anything.

This is the kind of book young women should be reading. Cross doesn’t pretend her characters are adults (like the Divergent protagonist), she let’s them be girls, girls growing up with giggles, uncertainties and an increasing awareness of the world and themselves, but without the usual whiny drama. Thank you, Mrs Cross!
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