Reading on a Theme: Boarding School Thrillers

Coming at you with more books that would be perfect for any October TBR. I love a good boarding school setting, and there are so many great boarding school books out there. You've got your fantasy-style boarding school books, your historical boarding school books, and, of course, contemporary boarding school books. With so many options to choose from, I wanted to narrow the field a little for this post. Let's face it, a boarding school is a great setting for a thriller, and thrillers are perfect for October.

Academy Absconditi:
When November Adley's former-CIA agent father suddenly ships her off to boarding school, November knows something must be really wrong. She's surprised to find her new school is a secret training ground and even more deadly than the outside world. Killing November by Adriana Mather has a bit of a locked-door mystery element to it, and I enjoyed not knowing who to trust. The classes are pretty extreme with some life-threatening tests, so danger is never far away. The long-established rival families reminded me of The Conspiracy of Us, so, if you enjoyed that series, definitely check out this one. Killing November was out March 29, 2109. Review copy from NetGalley.

Ellingham Academy:
Stevie Bell is off to Ellingham Academy, a private boarding school that only accepts geniuses for self-directed study. Stevie's area of interest is criminology. She's come to Ellingham to solve a decades old mystery that took place on its grounds and involves its founder. The only real clue to the unsolved case is a note signed by Truly Devious. Truly Devious is a fun YA mystery. I love the quirky boarding school setting, with all the students' very specific interests. I also really like the back and forth between the present day and the 1930s mystery. This book is the first in a series, and it ends with a monster of a cliff hanger, but, thankfully the next book in Maureen Johnson's trilogy, The Vanishing Stair, is already out. 
 

Innovations Academy:
Mena is a student at an elite all-girl boarding school, Innovations Academy. There, she and the other girls are trained to be perfect young ladies. But all is not right at this school, where the students receive harsh punishments for stepping out of line and are trained to never think for themselves. Girls With Sharp Sticks is so creepy. Set in a very near future that is a little too close for comfort, this book is a true horror story for any young feminist. As with all thrillers, I don't want to give too much away. Just know that Suzanne Young will lead you through some truly twisted paths. Also, I'm kind of obsessed with this perfect cover. I'm adding the sequel to my TBR. Girls With Sharp Sticks was out March 19, 2019.


Bates Academy:
Kay Donovan and her friends are the queens of their East Coast boarding school. They are also the ones to discover fellow-student Jessica Lane's body floating in the lake. Kay doesn't want to be anywhere near the polices' radar, and, when an anonymous fellow student begins blackmailing her, she'll do anything to keep her secrets safe, including exposing all of her friends' dirty laundry. People Like Us is full of unlikable characters, which is a great set-up for a thriller. As a reader, you have no idea who to trust or if Kay is even a reliable narrator. I'd love to see more drama from Kay and her friends. Dana Mele's debut is a solid YA thriller. 

Blackbrook Academy:
When a storm hits Blackbrook Academy, an elite boarding school on the Maine coast, a small group of students are stranded in one of the school's dorms. The next morning their headmaster is found dead in the conservatory. Stranded, with no idea when help will arrive, the students have to face the fact that they are most likely bunking down with a murderer. In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund is the first in a trilogy inspired by the classic board game, Clue. I really loved all the Clue references, from the character names, to the subtle nods to all the murder weapons, to all the aptly named rooms of Tudor House. In the Hall with the Knife is out October 8, 2019. Review copy from NetGalley.

 

13 Spooky Reads for the Halloween Season

Every October I pack in as many spooky reads as I possibly can. It's no secret that I love a good seasonally appropriate read, and the Halloween season just may be my favorite reading season of all. Here are 13 (because 13 is the spookiest number) 2019 releases that I've got on my October TBR. (P.S. More Halloween posts here.)

The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters:
What's more appropriate for Halloween than an Edgar Allen Poe-inspired tale? I've been meaning to read this book for months, but now I'm not sad at all that I pushed it off until October.

The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theodora Goss:
This is the third book in Goss's Athena Club series, a twisted retelling of several famous Gothic novels. I really enjoyed the first two books. (The first book is featured in my Frankenstein Retellings post.) 

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring: 
This book sounds so atmospheric and creepy. The setting is an isolated finishing school on the tip of Patagonia, and the book features a young teacher, a missing pupils, and rumors of Others.

Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake:
This is the fourth and final book in Kendare Blake's dark fantasy series. I'm always game for a dark fantasy, and I've loved this whole series. (Series featured here, here, and here.)

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler:
More Edgar Allen Poe! This collection of short stories features 13 (what did I say about 13 being the creepiest number) retellings of Poe classics along with the originals.

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby:
I'm in the middle of this book now, and I'm not sure how creepy this book is going to get (my guess is not very), but it is narrated by a ghost. This could be a good pick if you like magical realism or historical fiction (it's set during WWII).

House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig:
This retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale is so creepy. It opens with the funeral of main character's sister who died under mysterious circumstances and features gory visions, possible ghosts, and maybe a nervous breakdown or two. 

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin:
A fantasy involving witches, witch-hunters, and romance. I'm always up for a witchy book in October, and this one has been getting all the hype.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett:
Considered dangerous and too tempting in their sixteenth year, the girls in Garner County are released into the wilderness. This dystopian horror story sounds perfect for October.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood:
And, speaking of dystopian horror, there's not much that is more horrifying that Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale. I'm interested to see where she goes with this sequel.

In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund:
This book is inspired by the board game Clue, which is just as fun as it sounds. When a storm hits Blackbrook Academy, an elite boarding school on the Maine coast, a small group of students are stranded in one of the school's dorms. The next morning their headmaster is found dead in the conservatory.

Bid My Soul Farewell by Beth Revis:
Here we have another dark fantasy. I loved the first book in this duology that features necromancy and zombies and government conspiracy. I'm excited to read the sequel. 

Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia:
In a town plagued with ghost stories, Zora is falsely accused of a crime. This mystery involving a ghost-hunting television show and quirky self-proclaimed Addamsville historian sounds like a really fun October read.