The Sixth Form

by Tom Dolby

Book Overview

When 17-year-old Ethan arrives at prestigious prep school he's a blank slate, in search of himself. He is given a chance to start over when he is hand-picked by his wealthy, disaffected classmate Todd and enigmatic teacher Hannah. Life with them is a revelation, an invitation into a world of privilege and desire, which tests their limits and temptation in equal measure. But looming over them is a tragedy from the past, the unresolved death of Hannah's...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0758222580
• ISBN13: 9780758222589
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Ecellent Read

This is a very engrossing novel by a talented young writer! It is difficult not to consider reading it in one sitting. The characters are well drawn, and the "twists" are unexpected as the drama unfolds. I also enjoyed the fact that there were no grammatical or spelling mistakes so often found in today's efforts.

A riveting novel

Having read plenty of fiction for one lifetime, I'd say Dolby's Sixth Form ranks up in my top ten contemporary novels for its heart, rigorous detail and innovative story-telling. The dimensionality that Dolby gives Ethan, Todd, and Hannah goes far beyond the prep school genre standard. I would recommend this book not only to those interested in the setting, but anyone who's looking for a fantastic, riveting read as well. I can't wait for his next one!

Accurate with a new twist

A new England preppy who has read many prep school novels, I rate Dolby's as one of the very best. This novel far surpasses Curtis Satterfield's Prep. Dolby spends less time making fun of the so-called upper crust world and more time looking at the emotions of boarding school students. The issues of loneliness, abandonment of parents, the single teacher who seeks solace in students....all are so true to life. Furthermore, Dolby takes on a new perspective of boys coming to grips with their own sexuality and dealing with their innocence, identity and confusion. The boy meets girl, the rich girl/poor boy themes are refreshingly left out. Boarding school creates intense bonds. Dolby reveals them in a heart felt and accuarte fashion. Bravo!

Coming-of-age at a New England prep school

Seventeen year old Ethan Whitley is allowed to escape his California home, where his mother is battling cancer, by being sent to attend his senior year of high school at the prestigious Berkley Academy in Massachusetts. Once there, the somewhat shy and artistic Ethan meets Todd Eldon, an outgoing student from a rich Manhattan home, and Hannah McClellan, an English teacher who befriends both he and Tood, inviting them often to her home. Todd is immediately attracted to Ethan, which confuses him, as he always condidered himself to be heterosexual. He attempts to see if Ethan feels the same way, trying to spend as much time together as possible, until an impulsive action threatens to damage their friendship and risk "outing" him to his homophobic prep school peers. Meanwhile, Ethan becomes closer and closer to Hannah, who offers encouragement and attention to the pensive young man, and quickly oversteps the bonds that should exist between student and teacher. In his second novel (after "The Trouble Boy"), Tom Dolby provides a classic coming-of-age tale, based loosely on his own experiences at a New England prep school. His characterizations of Ethan, Todd and Hannah are infused with realism and great attention to detail, allowing the reader to feel as if he or she comes to know them as they knew each other. Ethan's misgivings about being away from his ill mother, and his fear of what the future might hold for him in terms of a career as well as relationships, are both handled with delicate skill by a talented author, as is the tale of Todd's slowly accepting the fact that he is gay. A beautiful read, which I give five stars out of five.

Coming ro Terms

Dolby, Tom. "The Sixth Form", Kensington Books, 2007. Coming to Terms Amos Lassen Tom Dolby is an amazing writer and he follows his first novel, "The Trouble Boy", with the entertaining and thought provoking "The Sixth Form". This time he leaves the world of gay Manhattan and takes us to another world, that of the New England boarding schools. "The Sixth Form" is a more personal book as Dolby himself was a student at one of them and he says that there are similarities between what he went through as he matured sexually. Written with great sensibility and insight we get to look behind the walls of the boarding school and the senior year of Ethan Whitley at Berkley Academy. Whitley left his unhappy home life in California and journeys to Connecticut where he meets and becomes friendly with another student, Todd Eldon, the son of wealthy New York parents. He also meets Hannah McClellan, an English teacher who has an enigmatic past. The three form a lasting friendship that is both destructive and supportive. Tom Dolby looks at the adolescent heart as it deals with first love. Likewise he looks at the "world of privilege" and how it affects the adolescent mind. In fact, the book deals as much with class, status and money as it does with identity and sexuality. The differences among students are not just based upon knowledge and grades but upon where they fall socioeconomically. The tensions between classes among teenagers are a bit different because the trappings of social standing are not quite as visible as in the adult world. Dolby looks at kids who are raised in a world of privilege and shows some of the minuses to such a life that many of us do not consider--parents who are not always around, drug and alcohol usage, and growing up fast. The story is another coming-of-age saga but this time the two boys are very different. Ethan is shy and on a mission to find himself whereas Todd is wealthy with no affectations. As Ethan is introduced to the world of privilege by Todd and Hannah, he learns of a different way of life and the three begin to test their limits. This happens against the backdrop of Hannah's past. As secrets come out. Ethan finds himself being pulled into the lives of his two friends and begins to find himself. Dolby writes with clarity and sincerity and a great deal of compassion and authority (as he should, having experienced prep school himself). When one's life goes from innocence to experience, a great deal can and does happen. The sixth form is prep school parlance for the senior year and all of us can well remember the confusion we faced that year as we faced going out on our own, whether to college or to work. The characters of Ethan, Todd and Hannah are developed richly and Dolby allows us to enter their minds and try to understand why they act the way they do. Looking at adolescence through Tom Dolby's eyes and words is looking at the human heart as it first comes to terms with love. Because Dolby himself (yes, he is