Reviewed: - (Review Updated: )
I'm an admitted fan of Jacqueline Jillinghoff's work, as people must be aware by now. As such, I was already familiar with this story when it popped up in the "Suggested Reading" panel this morning, and I discovered that I had not reviewed it, not even voted for it.
I've addressed the latter already, this is to correct the first sin of omission.
JJ is one of the best writers on SOL and this story is no exception. The technical quality is, as always, excellent. The story itself is superb. Set in a grim Catholic school, the atmosphere is so thick you can almost breathe it, the characters enough to give you a chill.
It is a stroke story that may not appeal to all tastes. What stands out is the arc of the story and the setting. If a stroke story can be said to have a plot this one is the paradigm.