I wanted to listen to a light, humorous, romantic story after some of the heavier ones I had listened to and Girl Meets Class fit the bill nicely. It was a cute story about a pampered young woman, Toni-Lee Wells, whose rich Aunt Cordelia decides that she needs a wake up call. She is told she needs to get and hold a job for one year, pay her own way and follow her aunt's stringent rules about public drunkenness etc. or she will be disinherited. Sounds simple enough but this is one spoiled young lady. After a serious injury takes her off the pro tennis circuit, she wallows in self-pity making a spectacle of herself for the past six months. With nothing but a general degree, where will she find a job that will pay her enough to live? Toni-Lee ends up teaching a Special Education class in a very poor school, where caring for the kids is probably more important than what you teach them.

This was a wonderful story. There was some humour, although not as much as I had anticipated. I enjoyed listening to the story as this young lady learned about how others lived, what it was like to be poor, what is important in life and falling in love with the wrong man, who turns out to be the right one. With a corrupt principal, nasty secretary and backstabbing staff, will Toni-Lee survive the year she needs to put in? Will Toni-Lee sell her integrity for five million dollars or wake up and realize what is really important? This is one story about a poor little rich girl getting a whole lot of lessons on life from the other side and the other side getting a whole new Toni-Lee as a result. This is an entertaining and engaging page turner that I really enjoyed. ( )

Lots of cliches in this still entertaining read. Toni is a spoiled young woman who ends up teaching in tough school with pretty much no experience. She gets involved in school politics, falls in love with the inspiring and dedicated black teacher, discovers the value of teaching, and has to decide between doing what is best for herself or what is better for the school she has become part of. ( )

I have very mixed feelings about this book, which I think reflects the fact that the author touched on a number of complex themes and social issues (racism, PPD, family relationships, educational policy, poverty) without really doing justice to any of them.

I initially thought this was a light, 'Southern chick lit' read, but didn't particularly warm to the main character, as she was self-absorbed and self destructive. Despite the stereotypical rich girl, big house, dysfunctional family setting she became more sympathetic as the novel progressed, particularly through her job in a challenging school, and the plot twists did keep me interested.

However, as a teacher (albeit in the UK) I found the depiction of the school and staff insultingly stereotypical, which was a shame as there were lots of interesting ideas, which I feel could have been better developed. ( )

I have very mixed feelings about this book, which I think reflects the fact that the author touched on a number of complex themes and social issues (racism, PPD, family relationships, educational policy, poverty) without really doing justice to any of them.

I initially thought this was a light, 'Southern chick lit' read, but didn't particularly warm to the main character, as she was self-absorbed and self destructive. Despite the stereotypical rich girl, big house, dysfunctional family setting she became more sympathetic as the novel progressed, particularly through her job in a challenging school, and the plot twists did keep me interested.

However, as a teacher (albeit in the UK) I found the depiction of the school and staff insultingly stereotypical, which was a shame as there were lots of interesting ideas, which I feel could have been better developed. ( )

If you are looking for a Southern Chick Lit / Women's Fiction story that has a mixture of sass and poignancy, then look no further, Girl Meets Class is the book for you.

Toni Lee Wells is a twenty-one year old Georgia peach from a well-to-do family. Toni Lee was an aspiring tennis professional, whose career was prematurely cut short when she suffered a permanent injury to her wrist. Tennis was her passion and the loss of her career sent her life spiraling out of control with outrageous spending sprees, heavy drinking, and numerous run-ins with the law for public intoxication. After six months of her endless aimlessness and being out of control, Toni Lee's father and Aunt Cornelia have had enough and decide it is time to implement harsh measures, and teach Toni Lee a life lesson from the school of hard knocks. They take away her very generous monthly allowance, her rent free luxurious condo, and credit cards. Aunt Cornelia gives Toni an ultimatum: get a respectable job, keep the job for one year, stay out of trouble, and she will receive an early inheritance in the amount of five million dollars. With a tennis career gone and a college degree in general studies, Toni Lee attends a career fair and applies for The Teaching Corps, an accelerated teacher training program with a goal to secure a teaching job in the local school system while completing the program. She accepts a special education teaching position at Harriet Hall High School, an inner city high school. So what's a spoiled Southern belle to do when she suddenly finds herself on an unexpected adventure with a difficult challenge that could make or break the lifestyle as she has known it?

Author Karin Gillespie weaves a wonderful lighthearted tale set in Rose Hill, Georgia that follows Toni Lee Wells' journey of self-discovery. Told in the first person narrative by Toni Lee, the reader follows the sassy young lady's adventure into a side of life that she wasn't born and raised in, it's a journey that will open her eyes to what is really important, and teach her a lesson that will ultimately change her life.

I really enjoyed the intertwining of humor and poignancy in the storyline, you can't help but get caught up in Toni Lee's journey as this spoiled young lady learns about the world outside the privileged community that she has grown up in. I really was not a fan of Toni Lee in the beginning of the story, but I did grow to like her as she made a transformation when she encountered the challenges and issues at the inner-city school. I really enjoyed how the author utilized her previous experience as a high school special education teacher to weave a story that is realistic and touches upon the challenges of the inner-city school system and social issues, yet also shows how passionate special education teachers really are.

Girl Meets Class is an entertaining feel-good story that will leave a smile on your face.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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