“Papas’s honest exploration of her protagonist’s inner world and outer life takes place over the course of a season at a British boarding school in the late 1950s. This slice of Sadie’s life is a particularly life-changing one, and Papas doesn’t miss a moment of it. …she is a capable storyteller with both an eye for beauty and a keen sense of empathy. That empathy gets applied equally to everyone in the story, from the adults in Sadie’s life, to the friends who both help and hurt her, and even to the young man who sets her heart alight for the first time.  The young women see the double standards that exist around them, and know they want to be able to live more freely. They try to find that freedom however they can – a striking and beautiful journey that hits upon what all young people share in their adolescence. …a worthwhile read for those seeking a realistic reminder of what it’s like to be young, and of how, as one character aptly puts it, “Growing up is like walking blindfold through a minefield.” That is: terrifying but exhilarating, with everything raw and brand-new. Papas conjures this feeling well with her detailed, poetic prose, and does so in a way that lingers long after Sadie’s story has concluded.”

“An eloquent novel detailing the ins and outs of an English boarding school in the late 1950s, The Gold Dark Summer is a lushly descriptive work about the delights and dangers of forbidden first love. Sadie, a young scholarship student at Bracken Hill who lost her father in WWII, falls for a boy and must cope with the consequences, including the betrayal of friends. Papas’ poignant book vividly captures the magic and excitement of youth, where every change and new experience is a dramatic opportunity for personal growth and exploration, offering a look at adolescence from a historical perspective that is wholly recognizable in the present day.”

“Like the Malory Tower books, this is set in a girls’ boarding school – although there is a boys’ school too. And, like Enid Blyton’s books, it’s set in sort of the same time; a time when the children would say stuff like, “Cheer up, old thing.” And there was a matron, and she would say things like, “Scrub those fingers, young lady, as soon as we get back from church." Yes, there’s a lot of Malory Towers in this novel. Yet... There’s also a lot more!

Firstly, this is a coming-of-age story and, in many ways, the problems the protagonist (Sadie) must face seem so much bigger than Darrell’s. Enid Blyton was a victim of her time and couldn’t (and possibly didn’t want to) allow her characters to get involved in anything too deep – particularly boys! Secondly, the characters in this novel feel better developed, not just in terms of who they are, but also what they want. Thirdly, the author’s writing style is in many ways much stronger than Blyton ́s; lyrical almost and, thankfully, not too flowery.  The story’s cleverly plotted, the setting is well-described, and the characters jump off the page. ...a captivating read. Highly recommended.”