Who Would Like This Book:
If you love dark academia with a gothic twist, morally complex characters, and a smattering of the supernatural, this one's for you! "A Lesson in Vengeance" delivers major atmospheric vibes - think haunted boarding schools, witchy mysteries, and unreliable narrators. The story deftly handles topics like mental health and queer identity, and features a diverse cast of characters where LGBTQ+ representation is casual and authentic. Readers who enjoy psychologically driven thrillers, twisty mysteries, or books like "Truly Devious" and "Ninth House" will be right at home here.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If predictable mysteries, an ambiguous ending, or protagonists you can’t quite connect with are dealbreakers, you might struggle with this book. Some found the pace slow or the main character a bit too hard to read, and others wished the plot had more surprise or that the darker themes were balanced out a bit more. If you prefer your school stories to feel more like real high school rather than grad school, or if you want a tidy resolution to most plot threads, this one might not fully satisfy you.
About:
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee follows the story of 17-year-old Felicity Morrow, who returns to her elite boarding school after taking a year off for her mental health. Haunted by the death of her best friend Alex, Felicity is drawn into a plot with mysterious teen writer Ellis Haley to investigate the deaths of the infamous Dalloway Five. As Felicity delves deeper into the past, she must confront her own guilt and unravel the truth behind the tragedies that occurred at the school. The book is a beautifully written dark academia novel filled with suspense, vivid descriptions, and intricate character relationships that keep the reader hooked until the very end.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include mental health struggles, grief-related themes, discussions of classism, death, and instances of violence.
Has Romance?
While the book does feature a sapphic romance between the main characters, it is not the central focus of the plot.
From The Publisher:
A dark, twisty thriller about a centuries-old, ivy-covered boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past. The dangerous romance and atmospheric setting makes it a perfect read for fans of dark academia.
Felicity Morrow is back at the Dalloway School. Perched in the Catskill Mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she's returned to finish high school. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students-girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.
Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway's past. The school doesn't talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She's determined to leave that behind now, but it's hard when Dalloway's occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won't let her forget.
It's Ellis Haley's first year at Dalloway, and she has already amassed a loyal following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called method writer. She's eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can't shake the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity to help her research the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can't say no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.
And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway-and herself.
Ratings (28)
Incredible (3) | |
Loved It (9) | |
Liked It (5) | |
It Was OK (5) | |
Did Not Like (6) |
Reader Stats (136):
Read It (28) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (83) | |
Did Not Finish (3) | |
Not Interested (21) |
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A Lesson in Vengeance?
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