Parents' Guide to

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Dark but fun 1890 murder mystery has feminist message.

Book Julie Berry Mystery 2014
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3):

THE SCANDALOUS SISTERHOOD OF PRICKWILLOW PLACE is a clever murder mystery filled with loyal -- but rather outrageous -- protagonists. Dull Martha is pretty dumb and constantly mixes up basic facts; Dour Elinor wants to give the bodies Egyptian-style autopsies; and Stout Alice, who has to impersonate their elderly headmistress, channels her rather effortlessly.

Readers who can get past some of the grizzly details (the girls end up digging graves for murder victims, and one sleeps in the bed that a dead body has just been in), will have fun guessing the central mystery -- and wondering if the girls will be able to keep up their ruse as the facts start lining up against them. Close readers will appreciate the more subtle messages about women's limited options in the late 1800s, which is what drives these characters to go to extreme -- and sometimes illegal -- lengths.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate