e-ALC, 11:02:19
Narrated by: Elena Rey
Release Date: September 2, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: September 2-4, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a free ALC from the publisher and and an e-ARC from Netgalley. This did nothing to influence my review)
Content Warning: Death, Murder, Grief, Vomit, Sexual Content, Violence, Drug Use, Death of a Parent, Alcohol
For Readers Interested In: Dark Academia, Thrillers, YA, Mystery, Slow BurnsA simmering psychological thriller about a dead teacher at an elite boarding school, the students who had every reason to want her gone, and the tangled web of rivalry and romance concealing the truth—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places.
At an elite boarding school, 8 students are selected for an exclusive program, but only one will walk away with a lifechanging opportunity to realize their creative dreams.
Effy is piecing together a story about the tragic betrayal that led to her mother’s death. Arlo hopes to publish a novel—but he’s also trying to start a new chapter with Effy after he broke her heart and ghosted 3 years earlier. Everyone has a compelling reason to be there—they all want a big break—but only the most ambitious will prevail as the students are eliminated one by one.
Their mentor is the one and only Meredith Graffam, an enigmatic writer, director and actress, whose unorthodox teaching methods push them past the breaking point. Under Graffam’s tutelage, the students reveal their darkest secrets, take unthinkable risks, and slowly start to turn on one another. But Graffam never expected they would turn on her . . .
“A standout dark academia thriller.” — E. Lockhart, #1 New York Times bestselling author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud
*MY THOUGHTS*
I had heard so much about this book I just knew I was going to love it. I never check reviews until I’ve written my own, but I’m starting to think that practice isn’t the best. Because I could have warned my self that this wasn’t what I thought it was. And Lordt knows I could have used the time on another book.
OK so I’m being dramatic. This isn’t a badddd book, but it also wasn’t great. As a regular thriller reader I was expecting this to be crazy and thrilling from the very beginning to hook me and keep me there. But this has so many different POVs that it takes some time to establish a backstory. And then when they finally do, it’s too late. It’s super far into the book and by then I was already looking for something to happen. And then when it did, it was more like the person was just really crazy and they didn’t need to be doing what they were doing. And then out of nowhere it was like BOOM shit started popping off and I was sitting there like wtf. Now if that is ok with you, then that’s fine. But it’s not somethign that I love. I don’t even like slow burn romances, so just know what you’re getting yourself into.
The characters in this were ok. They didn’t stand out at all. I didn’t understand the reason why we got all of those characters but we didn’t get the information on the one that mattered. Why in the world would you not give that person who has the craziest story a part in the story? We were left making our own inferences about what happened and I can’t tell y’all how that annoys me lol Why would I read this whole book if you’re going to make me make up some stuff anyway? Ugh, I know most people don’t mind that, but it’s not at all my favorite lol
The reason I didn’t DNF this was because it wasn’t bad. In fact I think I would have really enjoyed it if it had gotten started a little earlier. But overall, this was just ok for me. It’s one of those ones where I was sad because I thought I’d read it wrong. So many people were saying that it was the title of the year and I’ guess I just didn’t get it. But there’s plenty more books out there. It’ll be fine.
Overall, I give this
