For Your Own Good

This is a really tightly written psychological thriller about what happens behind closed doors in a exclusive private school. Belmont Academy is for the rich kids, those who plan to attend the Ivy League colleges and who have the parents who can afford the tuition. The teachers there are regular teachers, some with student pets and others with the goal of just bringing some kind of kudos into their own lives. Teddy Crutcher is an English teacher there who is exultant when he can give a student a lower grade than they deserve and an assignment that is crushing in its demands. Sonia Benjamin is also an English teacher, a former graduate of Belmont herself, and rather proud of her accomplishments and her own hard work. Frank Maxwell is an odd duck teacher, a math teacher who just observes everything closely and takes everything to heart. Fallon is a former student, bitter against Teddy because he wrote her a recommendation letter that kept her from getting into an Ivy. Two current students, Zach and Courtney, become a central part of the story as they are suspected of foul play on campus that results in more than one death. The plot is fast-paced and entertaining, told in an omniscient point of view and including all of the main characters. I enjoyed reading how the rich and famous live and what they expect for their children, but none of these wealthy parents and their kids would be up for citizen of the year, in my opinion. In fact, there were few redeeming qualities in any of the characters, except possibly Fallon who was seeking revenge for all the right reasons. All in all, the characters were privileged and demanding and not so nice to the little guys, like Joe the custodian. Many of the events in the book were predictable but in a highly entertaining way. The one surprise was the ending that wasn’t shocking, just a surprise. Lots of twists along the way as the plot unravels on a narrow path to murder and justice. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

It was an interesting story. However, you could almost see what was going to happen next. Overall good read.

Zaw Htwe