Bibliographic Information

Title: Maxton Hall – The World Between Us

Based on: Save Me (book), by Mona Kasten

Head writer: Daphne Ferraro

Directors: Martin Schreier and Tarek Roehlinger

Network:  Amazon Prime Video

Release Date: May 9, 2024

Genre

Romance

Format

TV Series (German-language)

Run time

47 minutes

Rating

TV-MA

Interest Level

Ages 14+ (per Common Sense Media)

Awards or Honors

As of the date of this post, Maxton Hall – The World Between Us is the most successful series launch of any non-American Prime Original ever (Hunter Simanson, 2024).

Episode Summary (S1, E1)

Ruby Bell is a scholarship student at the prestigious Maxton Hall. Her classmates come from rich, powerful families and are chauffeured to school in Bentleys; she takes the bus from her working class neighborhood and dreams of going to Oxford. One afternoon she discovers one of her teachers in a compromising position with classmate Lydia. This throws Ruby into the path of Lydia’s brother James Beaufort, Maxton Hall’s most popular and attractive single male on campus. Ruby wants nothing to do with the Beauforts, but James is intent on making sure she stays quiet about his sister. Ruby and James repeatedly square off in a battle of wills, until a prank gone wrong leads the headmaster to make them work together on a high-profile school event in order to redeem themselves.

Director Background

Directors Martin Schreier and Tarek Roehlinger were both born in Germany and studied film there. Various projects over the years have taken each of them to locations throughout Europe and the United States. Schreier has worked several times with Amazon Studios, while Roehlinger has focused much of his career on commercials and film trailers. Each of them directed 3 of the 6 episodes in Season 1 of Maxton Hall (Martin Schreier, n.d.; Tarek Roehlinger, n.d.).

Critical Evaluation

It might be easy to assume, based on the episode summary and all the shiny marketing surrounding this show, that Maxton Hall would be considered “fluff.” But I was surprised at all the subtle injections of depth into the characters of Ruby and James. James comes off as all smugness and pride, but he tenderly takes his sister’s hand when she’s worried, and he looks at Ruby with confusion and sincerity when she chooses not to tell Lydia’s secrets. Ruby might appear as shy as a door mouse, but she’s consistently bold when facing-off with James and has private moments when she’s clearly fighting through something like a panic attack. They are each much more developed than I expected, and their chemistry together is amazing. This show represents so many of the romance tropes I enjoy – star-crossed, slow-burn, enemies to lovers – and does a great job with excellent writing, casting, and acting. *Note: Although an English voice-over is available on Amazon Prime Video, I highly recommend watching the show in it’s original German and using English subtitles.

Creative Use for a Library Program

Ruby is very organized and goal-oriented; she carries and uses a bullet journal every day to keep herself on task. A library could have a program teaching youth how to create bullet journals and use them for setting and achieving goals.

Speed-Round Talk

Ruby Bell and James Beaufort are happy in their separate lives, worlds apart in wealth, influence, and popularity. But when a secret brings their paths together, it ignites a battle between them and jeopardizes each of their futures. Will they be able to work side by side and fight their growing attraction to redeem themselves?

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation

Maxton Hall is rated TV-MA for depictions of alcohol and drug use, and some suggestive and sexual content. Viewers who are not prepared for this ahead of time might object to such content being aimed at teens. If this is a concern, it’s best to read through online reviews or watch the series first before deciding to allow teens to watch.

Reason for Inclusion

Romance books are enormously popular with Gen Z readers (Schwartz & Collins Sullivan, 2022). Maxton Hall is an enjoyable, well-done entry in this genre and deserves a place in a collection of materials for youth today.

All of Mona Kasten’s Young Adult romance novels (and their tropes):