Rachel is English nobility, sent to the hidden island of Roanoke in the US to study magic. Yes, it sounds familiar, but the worldbuilding is intense and intricate and the action happens in the first week of school, so ... not what you're thinking!
This is a fun romp with a lot of dark moments. The heroine is smart and blessed/cursed with perfect memory, so she can look back and get details letter perfect every time, no fading. Helpful with studying, and when it comes to dealing with a lot of treachery and downright nastiness in the magical world. Especially when searching her perfect memory helps her see things that were kept hidden under illusion the first time around.
The discussion of the non-magical people of Earth -- Unwary, rather than the M-word -- can be funny at times, especially when so much of our known history and culture either doesn't exist, or is considered fable. The Unwary don't know about the magical world and its inhabitants, and the same battle to shake off the rules and enslave them is going on there, just like in HP's world.
There is so much history and social structure and general rules of magic to learn, but the author does a wonderful job of avoiding so many "as you know" moments. Then there's the angst of Rachel as she realizes that adults don't know everything, and some can even be unreasonable. Starting with her father, who she believes she is reporting to and helping him do his job of patrolling the magical world and keeping the evil forces at bay.
Fun story, cramming a lot of action and growing up into just the first week of school. Don't worry -- there are more books waiting to be read!
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