S. F. Prescott

Dark academia with a twist of revenge.

Lisa Lutz is the author of the New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award– and Macavity Award–nominated, and Alex Award–winning Spellman Files series, as well as the novels How to Start a Fire, The Passenger, and The Swallows. She lives and works in upstate New York.

Published August 13th, 2019.

When I read the description I was sold on this book. A teacher goes to a New England prep school and ignites a gender war with deadly consequences. I love a good revenge story, and especially enjoy reading about characters hiding secrets. The Swallows was an interesting take on the boys will be boys culture, and the details surrounding ‘the Dark Room’ (a digital catalog of sexual perversion with commentary) and the ‘Dulcinea’ award (rating girls) added an even darker layer to the story. The cast of characters were intriguing, especially the relationships between the students. I enjoyed the creepy setting and love reading about anything set in New England. A couple of my favorite scenes involved the girls eating hot chili peppers before taking revenge on the boys, and afterward when they reclaimed a sense of control by shaving their heads. Each of these scenes was so immersive and added some levity to the story.

I would have enjoyed a deeper dive into Alex Witt’s past, even more about her childhood, and felt like her character didn’t really change much throughout the book. The number of students in the book was also difficult to follow, and the multiple POVs created distance for me, constantly jumping around. The plot was easy to follow but it was hard to connect to anyone in particular. One of the most interesting characters was Finn Ford, a teacher and colleague of the protagonist, Alex, whom, we find out, is aware of the misdeeds of the male students and not only does nothing, but uses the information as inspiration for his own novel. I would have enjoyed learning more about him and the other secrets he had. A lot happened in this book but it also didn’t increase the pace and I felt it was a little too slow for me.

For readers who enjoy dark academia, revenge, and a steady pace.

Synopsis:

When Alexandra Witt joins the faculty at Stonebridge Academy, she’s hoping to put a painful past behind her. Then one of her creative writing assignments generates some disturbing responses from students. Before long, Alex is immersed in an investigation of the students atop the school’s social hierarchy—and their connection to something called the Darkroom. She soon inspires the girls who’ve started to question the school’s “boys will be boys” attitude and incites a resistance. But just as the movement is gaining momentum, Alex attracts the attention of an unknown enemy who knows a little too much about her—and what brought her to Stonebridge in the first place.

Meanwhile, Gemma, a defiant senior, has been plotting her attack for years, waiting for the right moment. Shy loner Norman hates his role in the Darkroom, but can’t find the courage to fight back until he makes an unlikely alliance. And then there’s Finn Ford, an English teacher with a shady reputation, who keeps one eye on his literary ambitions and one on Ms. Witt. As the school’s secrets begin to trickle out, a boys-versus-girls skirmish turns into an all-out war, with deeply personal—and potentially fatal—consequences for everyone involved.