All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth (YA)
Okay first of all – THAT COVER. I am obsessed with covers that have water on them, admittedly. But I digress…this is one is firmly in the vein of The Secret History/Special Topics but is actually billed as a YA book. Elite boarding school, secret society, characters of questionable morals, a mystery to unravel. It’s a slow pace, and takes its time developing the story. The story goes back and forth in time from the present where heroine Charlie is navigating a new school and the clique the “A’s” while grappling with the disappearance 10 years ago of her mother and the secrets around that event. The story goes back and forth between Charlie and her mother 10 years earlier. Although YA there is the usual excess of sex, drugs, and adult behavior among the teenagers. I didn’t necessarily feel it was YA while I was reading it. Not everything works in the story but I found it hard to put down. Definite points for a dreamy atmosphere that envelops you while you are reading and really makes you feel immersed in the story.
The Swallows by Lisa Lutz
I enjoyed this private boarding school story that revolves around a young instructor and her unusual approach to her students and their affairs. The teachers at this school are all a bit of a mess, intrigue abounds, and of course there is an elite student clique known as The Ten and a dangerous game being played by the students. The POV shifted around from teachers to students, but the definite protagonist here is the instructor, a bit of a change from the usual secret society/elite school/mystery set-up where the focus is more on the students or one student.
An interesting take on the genre, with characters who are easier to like than we often find in books of this nature. The plot is not entirely believable, yet not completely shocking either, which perhaps is a sad commentary. The adults all behave badly and overlook the students’ game, which is somewhat unbelievable also. I think I would have liked this more had the focus been more purely on Gemma (student) and Ms. Witt. The POVs from some of the other characters were not necessary.
Plenty of reviews place this book in the #metoo era category. True, but I’m not sure this story succeeds in showing the best way to combat “boys will be boys” stereotypes; the women are portrayed as behaving just as badly – probably accurate though. I think this book might have been better with more humor injected into it. It felt like it wasn’t sure if it wanted to be one of those dark secret society intrigue stories, or if it was a more fun take on a female revenge type story, or a commentary on sexism and gender stereotypes. It works, but I think could have worked even better by going more in the fun direction and really pushing a girl power vibe. Instead, the girls are frustrating and part of the problem. Still – it does make you think…
I enjoyed it, ultimately, and that’s the primary way I rate books. Worth picking up!
Happy reading!
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