I Will Ruin You by Lincoln Barclay

October 29, 2024

I Will Ruin You by Lincoln Barclay

A teacher's act of bravery puts him in the crosshairs of a former student intent on blackmail, plus exposes him to unexpected fallout from a number of sources.

Another solid psychological thriller from Lincoln Barclay, told through several POVs. After a fast beginning, the story slows down but the author winds in all the threads at the end. It gives a different look at the fallout that those involved in thwarting violence can experience. Sensitive readers should be aware of some difficult subjects, including drugs, school violence, and sexual abuse. Fans of Harlan Coben or Lisa Jewell will enjoy Barclay's latest book.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu

August 15, 2024

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu

A year in the lives of the teachers and staff at a large urban high school, beginning with the sudden death of a substitute teacher in the faculty lounge (conveniently between classes, so that the office staff has time to find someone to fill in for him).

Character driven storyline rather than plot driven, with each chapter devoted to a different character and how they became the people they are. Endearing characters from the young janitor to the curmudgeonly veteran math teacher, who all want the best for their students and co-workers as they fight against a school system more concerned with test scores than education. Even if you're not in education, you'll appreciate the camaraderie and sarcasm. Recommended for readers of contemporary fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Traditional no-frills teacher's lounge

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

February 20, 2020

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Vanessa is a bright student who is seduced by her English teacher at a prestigious Maine boarding school.  Even while she was attending the school, rumors flew around about her and the teacher.  Many years later, a current student who has accused the teacher of misconduct contacts Vanessa, asking for her support.  The story line moves back and forth from the time Vanessa is a high school student to Vanessa at age 32, working a dead-end job as a concierge at a high-end hotel, still dealing with the fallout her experiences with the teacher as she comes to realize that it wasn’t a love story, it was exploitation.

This book made me furious.  Yet it is an important topic that needs to come out of hiding.

The teacher (Strane) made my skin crawl, he was such a slimy jerk who manipulated children, referring to it as "grooming."  He is so creepy that I had to skim over a number of the sections where he featured prominently.  Strane gives Vanessa a copy of Lolita to read – by this point, Vanessa is so under his spell that she sees it as a tragic love story, not as the story of a morally bereft pedophile who is sexually obsessed with a child.  Strane has so much control over her that she lies and takes the blame so that he can keep his job.  It takes Vanessa over 15 years to accept that the experiences traumatized her.

This is definitely not going to be for everyone, since there are repeated graphic scenes of statutory rape of an underage child.  While it is well-written and there are many cultural and literary allusions, it is also quite disturbing, and I sort of wish I could un-read it.  Vanessa and Strane debate about whether all girls mature at the same rate, and can a 15 year old be mature enough to have a sexual relationship with a 42 year old man – the answer is no, when you're a teenager, it’s the hormones talking – 15 year olds are NOT mentally mature enough to make that kind of a decision.  I'm pretty sure most 15 year olds (girls and boys) are infatuated with at least one teacher at some point.  I know I was, and it would have been devastating to have been abused that way by a teacher that I adored.

It’s been all over the news this week that the Boy Scouts of America organization has declared bankruptcy in order to protect its assets from the growing number of sexual abuse charges that have been filed against the organization (the cases number in the thousands).  What is wrong with so many men????  They can’t keep their hands off boys, they can’t keep their hands off teen-aged girls, they don’t understand the word “no” when it comes to adult women.

Despite accusations of plagiarism from another author (Wendy C. Ortiz wrote a memoir called Excavation was published several years ago and covers the same story), My Dark Vanessa is already hitting a lot of lists as a best book of 2020.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in return for a review.

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

October 21, 2019

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

Clare Cassidy is a secondary English school teacher in an English town in West Sussex, specializing in the works of literary works of Victorian author R. M. Holland.  Part of the school where she teaches was Holland’s house, where a number of rooms have been preserved exactly as they were when the writer lived there.  Clare is devastated to learn that a fellow teacher and close friend has been found murdered, with a quote from Holland’s most famous story next to her body.  But things go from bad to worse when Clare’s life begins to echo some of her favorite pieces of literature.  She turns to her diary to record her feelings, only to find that some unknown person has been reading her diary and writing in it.

This is a modern gothic with a classic whodunit feeling, perfect for October reading.  Many of the themes that occur in classic gothic and supernatural fiction are included:  a creepy old school with a resident ghost, an abandoned factory, isolated houses, unreliable narrators, heavy fog and darkness, screams in the night, mysterious lights that flicker on and off.  I liked the story-within-a-story structure, as well as the plot twists that keep the reader guessing.  The three narrators all have distinct voices and are each likable in their own way – I especially liked the fact that Clare adores her rescue dog (Herbert) and doesn’t care who knows it.  Herbert is a little guy but has the heart of a lion and doesn’t hesitate to defend his humans.

Another thing I liked about The Stranger Diaries was that the lead detective is a smart woman – she doesn’t miss obvious and not-so-obvious clues and have to have some bystander point them out or figure out the solution for her.

Except for the fact that the killer's motive is a little weak, this is an excellent read.

And yes, Herbert is alive and well at the end of the book.