Book Title: For Your Own Good
Author: Samantha Downing
Published by: Berkley
Published on: July 20th, 2021
Genre: Dark Academia
**I purchased this book with my own money.There was no obligation to post/give this book a certain rating.
Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the esteemed Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest.
He says his wife couldn’t be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.
Teddy really can’t be bothered with the death of a school parent that’s looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is on pushing these kids to their full academic potential.
All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way.
It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.
Whenever I feel the urge to read I always pick up a whodunnit murder mystery and given that I’d loved reading Samatha Downing’s previous work, ‘My Lovely Wife’, I believed this book wouldn’t disappoint me either.
🔥🔥🔥“Entitlement has a particular stench. Pungent, bitter. Almost brutal.”
As you know, I was in a reading slump that lasted almost a year. It was hard to pick up a book to read finally, and that alone is surprising to me. But then, I knew I needed some distraction and I am glad I picked up For Your Own Good because there is no looking back now. I’ve read seven books already this month and I have only begun.
Set in a posh and elite prep school, Belmont Academy, Teddy Crutcher is the Teacher of the Year who believes that he should mold and shape every student to meet the Ivy league standards the school aims for and not become the smug, spoiled, and entitled brats of today. The problem is that he is willing to go to any extent to achieve his mission because he strongly believes that it is all for the greater good. Of course, a murder or two doesn’t stop him while putting someone in place.
🔥🔥🔥”If the world wasn’t filled with so many incompetent people, Teddy would have so much more time to concentrate on the important things. Like teaching.“
Among these is Zach Ward, a star student, unfortunately from a rich and influential family, who is under Teddy’s radar. Teddy has it out for him assigning impossible deadlines, and screwing his grades that hurt his GPA. When people start dying one after the other at the Belmont Academy, first a parent, then teachers and students, the school’s sparkling reputation goes into gutter.
Told in multiple PoVs, the reader may feel slightly overwhelmed but only in the beginning. It is easy to keep track of who’s who and what and the secondary characters add life to the story. Each had unique voices and good character development.
There are plenty of surprises, twists, and turns for the reader and it will keep you hooked from the get-go. I love a good mystery and I keep trying to figure out the plot as and when I read. But I was taken aback by the many odd turn of events and not just for the sake of having a twist, which was interesting.
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I wish I could talk in detail about the book without giving out spoilers. But it truly lived up to its hype and cemented the fact that Samantha Downing is an auto-buy author for me.
In a gist, here’s what you can expect from this book.
💫Dark academia 💫Murder mystery 💫Unique characters 💫Excellent plot
If you are looking for a good thriller, especially a dark academia one, which is a rage these days, you must pick up this book.
Yes! You will not be disappointed!
Have you read For Your Own Good? I’d love to know your thoughts.
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You may also read:
Best Dark Academia Books to Read
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
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Looks like a nice read. You have described Ted Crutcher nicely. While the teacher may be motivated to make students better, but seems to be oblivious to the suffering of his students and colleagues. It is worth finding out what and who is the cause of death.
The book sounds quite interesting and have that unique spark which can keep the readers hooked till the end. I will surely grab a copy of it to read it in detail. Thanks for the recomemndation.
The genre and the premise sound very exciting, thanks to your review. And somehow, I think we need to speak more openly about what is happening in schools these days. There’s so much more “studying” than learning, and so much of stress! I will add the author to my list too. I love a well-done whodunit.
After A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder I’ve begun enjoying campus murder mysteries. This one sounds even shadier with a single-mindedly result-obsessed teacher. Will check it out.
I love whodunits immensely and if its with multiple PoVs, gimme gimme! Will check this out. Thanks for bringing the title to my notice
Dark academia books have always intrigued me. Will add this book to my list.
This sounds like such a gripping story.Teddy Crutcher seems like the perfect example of someone obsessed with success, no matter the cost. I’m curious to see how his focus on excellence will unfold, especially with all the secrets and tension around him. Can’t wait to find out more.
I love how your review captures the essence of the book without giving away spoilers! A gripping mystery like this might just pull me out of my reading slump too. Adding it to my list!
Neha Sharma recently posted…How to Boost Focus in Kids Aged 7-10? A Realistic Guide for Parents
I completely agree! For Your Own Good also kept me hooked with its dark twists and complex characters. Teddy’s obsession with perfection and the chilling events at Belmont Academy made this an unforgettable read. Definitely cemented Downing as an auto-buy author for me too!
I haven’t read any dark academia books. Looks like a good genre to explore. Thanks for the recommendation.
I love the genre of whodunnit and this one as your recommendation definitely seems an intriguing read. Will check this out
I love a whodunnit. Have not read this author. Must try it out. Tks for sharing . I too was in a reading slump. But slowly picking up
Chandrika R Krishnan recently posted…And Then it Was Done- A short Fiction
With too many secondary characters yet clear and interesting with an excellent plot, this book seems to be a sure pick. Thanks for the review.
Intense storyline, I may say. The story is interesting enough but how the cover was made doesn’t appeal to me much. If not for the book review, I wouldn’t have been interested in picking up this book at a store. Lovely review!