I walk away from the Swallows thinking....what was the point? Intriguing ideas, poorly executed. The very last paragraph Lutz tells us what she was aiming for, but I don't feel like the story really delivered that at all. This weird, oversexualized boarding school with all its fucked up students and teachers felt so far from believable, it was distracting. There were too many subplot lines that didn't add any value to the story. All the big twists and reveals were done in a way that made them surprsingly...unshocking. The crytopgraphy, hacking, and detective work were so clumsily handled. I kept expecting to really be gripped at some point, but the novel kept the same steady pace the whole way through. Even through exciting moments, the writing was so matter of fact and explanatory that it felt rather unimpactful. The characters weren't particularly memorable. I kept forgetting which girl was which. Kate and Mel were virtually undistinguishable through dialogue and action. And at some point, the story just...ended. It didn't seem to build or rise to a climax at all. Honestly rather disappointed with this read.

Alexandra Witt doesn’t take a position as an English teacher at the not-that-illustrious- boarding school Stonebridge with the aim to turn the institution on its head, but that’s exactly what she does. After witnessing some distressing interactions between the boys and the girls at school, Witt encourages the women to stand up for themselves. The boys, of course, aren’t having that, and before they all know it,an all-out gender war is taking place at Stonebridge and all involved are hurtling toward an unhappy ending.

This was so much fun! First, the gender politics were spot on. This is definitely a book for the “Me Too” era. I went to a public school, but I can totally see a scaled down version of this sort of thing happening there, or, unfortunately, anywhere. Lutz handles some very sensitive topics pretty deftly, and creates engaging and authentic characters. Foreshadowing early in the book makes it pretty clear that things will end badly, and I found myself racing through the book to find out what happened. The end was pretty weak: the story, while not exactly grounded, felt believable until suddenly it felt like an episode of Riverdale or Gossip Girl or…pick any teen show on the CW, I guess.

The best part of this book, by far, is the Blowchart. It is what it sounds like, and it is fabulous. If I had my way, it’d be on the wall of every high and middle school.

TLDR: If you are looking for a suspenseful read with some feminist flavorings, you won’t go wrong here. Older teens will find a lot to like here as well.

4 stars – I really enjoyed it.

Both a send-up of an homage to the private school novel, The Swallows details what happens when the girls at a school find out about the crass and cruel contest the boys run in ranking the girls' prowess at oral sex. Told from multiple viewpoints, The Swallows is a testament to girl power, a self-mocking parody, a story of trauma and abuse, and a novel of self-discovery. Recommended for anyone who has previously enjoyed this genre, including books like The Secret History or Special Topics in Calamity Physics.

After discovering a shocking tradition/prank/assault that has been plagueing a not-so-elite boarding school in Vermont, Alex DeWitt, the new creative writing instructor, escaping from her own scandal, unknowingly sparks a revolt and a gender war. This is not your ordinary teen boarding school escapade, I enjoyed all the adult characters as well.

(I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review).

I may not be the right reader for this type of book. I found the book too slow and had to wait until after 80% of the book for action to finally happen. Talk about a slow build up! I didn't relate to any of the characters and found that some pieces of the story were useless (for instance any part with the main character's parents). Finally something happened and boy, did it go way too far. I just slugged through this book too much to enjoy it.

Interesting tale from multiple perspectives. The author still manages to flesh out most of the characters quite believably, which is unusual for this style. Alex, Gemma, and even Linny will stick with me for a while. I liked the development of the plot with it's secret glances and creeping revelations. I received a copy from NetGalley and I recommend enthusiastically.

Lisa Lutz's new novel, The Swallows, takes place at a New England boarding school and addresses the #MeToo issue in a provocative and interesting way, describing what turns out be an all-out gender war between the students. The humor that makes her Spellman series so enjoyable is on full display, but with a darker edge. The blowchart alone is worth the price of the book!

While the story is told primarily from the standpoint of Alexandra Witt, a new teacher at the school, Lutz also shares the perspective of other characters, which really rounds out the story. There's a lot of foreshadowing, which ratchets up the suspense and makes this a page-turner--you know something bad is going to happen, but you don't know what. Lutz did a wonderful job of describing the female characters; the male characters were (for the most part) less developed. Overall, the book did a great job of combining a riveting plot with a topical discussion of an important issue.

I love this genre and had high expectations. This novel wound up being light fare.despite its heavy subject matter. It's a page-turner and would make a good beach read.

Ugh. After thoroughly enjoying The Passenger, I was thrilled to receive access to this newest novel.
I’m not sure why I kept reading. The subject made me sick and the descriptions of a private boarding school did not ring true. I honestly wish I hadn’t read it.

Even though this is a novel about a private boarding high school, I can picture this happening anywhere. A new female teacher, her quirky parents, quirky students and quirky administration, all make for a very good read. Alternating voices, each a chapter long, show us the situation from all points of view.

Story line: it appears the boys are rating the girls on their 'performances" and have their own website where they post their comments and ratings. The girls and new teacher aim to get to the bottom of this no matter what the cost, and what a cost it is! The subject matter may offend some, but the plot was handled well and does not appear to excite prurient interest, but rather shows the pressure girls/women face every day.

The private school is mostly made up of privileged teens, The teamwork crosses all lines to attempt that good over evil will prevail. Loved the writing. It kept me glued. I hated for it to end. New favorite author for me!

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy Lisa Lutz's mysteries very much. When I saw that she had a new book I was so excited. The Swallows is not what I expected. It is a dark satirical book that centers around a school and the revenge that we seek in times of humiliation. The characters are edgy with a deep need for revenge and the need to push the secrets that come up within the plot. The Swallows reads like a piece of hard candy with an incredibly gooey center that would be filled with sour liquid. It's a twisty read that will have you following an investigation filled with secrets, lies, and threats.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House books for the E-arc copy of #TheSwallows.

I’ve read Lisa Lutz for years and every new book, I look forward to with hope. To be honest, I was disappointed in this one. It almost seemed like it was supposed to be satire but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t. It just didn’t make a lot of sense. Why did we only encounter a handful of students? Why were there so few teachers? I feel like it was supposed to be edgy but it fell flat.

I loved THE SPELLMAN FILES by Lutz but have yet to read anything comparable from her. THE SWALLOWS reminds me a little of Meg Abbott in that there is a nasty center to the story, one I would be fine not reading about.
Alexandra Witt, daughter of a famous writer, joins the faculty at Stonebridge Academy, she's running from her past. As the creative writing teacher her first assignment elicits disturbing responses from students. Before long, Alex is immersed in an investigation of the students, privilege, and things no high school girl should be subject to.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of The Swallows.

I was a huge fan of The Spellman Files so I was SO EXCITED my request was approved! Yay!

Warning: Trigger themes include sexual abuse, humiliation and idiotic boys and men.

The Swallows is a timely book in this #MeToo age that follows a young teacher named Alex Witt, who joins the faculty at Stonebridge, a second-tier boarding school.

Alex has run to Stonebridge to escape a scandal from her previous school, but unbeknownst to her, she will stumble into Stonebridge's worst kept secret.

Gemma is a student with a shady past, and one of the elite Ten, the popular students. She has made it her mission to take down a disgusting boys' club after her big sister was taken down earlier.

The book is divided into several POVs; Alex, Gemma, an idiot male teacher Finn, and two male allies and students.

I found this flip flopping of perspectives distracting; few authors can pull this off well, if at all. I would have preferred just Alex and Gemma's POVs, or another female student.

For the most part, I liked Alex but I didn't like her as well as I wanted to. She was feisty and blunt, brusque and unflinching. Yet, at times, I found her naive, even after what she had been through previously.

I liked Gemma and her Girl Squad. Their actions are believable, shocking and not surprising.

People are capable of many things, especially violence, regardless of gender. Everyone just has certain boundaries that need to be crossed before we can't take it anymore and cross that first irrevocable step over and past the point of no return.

I did like how the author showed the duplicity of women, those willing to go along with the hideous game, whether through some misguided belief that they held the power or because they are victims of abuse or trauma.

I'm not sure why the author chose to include the perspective of one of the male teachers; a selfish, egotistical, lascivious has-been. He gave me creep-o vibes so maybe that was Ms. Lutz's intention yet his POV was unnecessary and didn't add anything to the plot or motivations of the characters.

The inclusion of Alex's parents was interesting and unexpected; perhaps to show us why she is the way she is; the product of an adulterous father and a reserved woman whose marriage of convenience and security is no secret.

Alex's laissez faire attitude toward relationships was disheartening but no surprise given her parents' relationship but I loved her no nonsense approach when instructing Gemma and her peers in how to regard a certain sexual act. It's not obligatory; it's a choice.

And that blowchart? As Cher in Clueless would say, 'Classic!'

I always enjoy Ms. Lutz's writing and the revenge driven part of the story and was invested in Gemma and her avenging angels.

Characters: 3 Story: 4 Writing: 5

Another wild ride from Lisa Lutz. The setting: pervasive sexual harassment at a New England prep school and the girls who decide not to put up with it any longer. The boys at Stonebridge have a long standing practice of ranking the girls’ sexual prowess on a secret web site. It’s been going on for years, handed from one head boy to the next and tacitly approved by an administration that seems to know all about it.

Alternating between four first-person perspectives, Lutz’ hysterical and sardonic writing puts us in the heads of four characters: Ms. Witt, a new teacher who is appalled by what she sees (and who feels like my favorite -- Izzy Spellman -- with a new name and career); Mr. Ford, a long-time teacher who is writing a novel based on the school; Gemma Russo, a scholarship student hiding her background from the others; and Norman Crowley, the weak, guilt ridden, webmaster who supports the secret website even though he hates everything about it. Lots of other fun characters — newby Linny who takes matters into her on hands in delightfully inventive ways; Claudine Shepherd the bitter librarian; Martha Primm, the world’s worst guidance counselor; and Greg Stinson, the well-meaning but completely inadequate Dean of Students.

The female characters are well-developed; the male characters are stereotypes — like the old madonna / whore dichotomy, the men in this book are either evil or weak and ineffectual. I did enjoy one section where Gemma tells Jonah (one of the weak and ineffectual variety) that he is sweet — maybe too sweet. He responds that it is hard to know how to be a guy and that he was always confused. A small tip of the hat to how the new “norms” of behavior can be difficult and confusing for men. Ms. Witt takes the education of the girls in hand when she creates the Blowchart — a cartoonish flowchart that helps a girl understand when she should give a guy a blowjob (spoiler alert: the chart leads to “No” a lot more often than it leads to “Yes”). I have no doubt that this graphic will spread rapidly on the web once the book is published.

It’s over the top and lots of fun to read, if not totally plausible. Plenty of good messages exhorting girls to take matters into their own hands and not succumb to pressure or tradition.

Great quotes:
“The young may have a better excuse for cruelty, but they are no less capable of it.”

“I have a visceral memory of our fight to the death over the title. It feels like a migraine in my solar plexus.”

“She got up close to the coffeepot and was watching the drip, like a kid staring at her pet goldfish.”

“I also have a few strong and well-documented theories associating personality disorders with specific tie knots.”

“He looked exactly like I thought he would. Shaggy blond hair, skinny, with Mr Potato Head lips and a nose that should have been on a girl.”

“Having a marginally intelligent teenager regard you with superiority can put a man into a deep psychological trough.”

“Some people count sheep. What finally sent me to sleep was cycling through possible job alternatives in alphabetical order. For soporific purposes, you can’t leave anything off the table. I fell asleep sometime after carpet installer”

“Shame is cunning. Even if it doesn’t come from a rational place, it sticks. But that doesn’t mean it’s real.”

“You can keep telling girls to be polite, to keep a level head and it’ll all work out in the end. But don’t be surprised when they figure out that you’ve been feeding them lies. Don’t be alarmed when they grow tired of using their own voices and playing by your rules. And don’t be shocked when they decide that if they can’t win a fair fight, they’ll just have to find another way.”

Do not miss reading this book! From the first page it builds inexorably to a breath-holding, heart-slamming finish. Don't ask whether it is a Young Adult genre, a feminist manifesto, or an illustration of how pitifully small the strides women have made in a man's world. It doesn't matter. Just read. It's filled with humor and exciting writing.

Regardless of your reasons for reading The Swallows, the sheer momentum of the developing tale will keep you glued to the page.. The scene is a Vermont campus of a co-ed boarding school where life does not reflect the bucolic beauty of its surroundings. Into its Fall semester comes Alex Witt, daughter of a famous novelist who has just been assigned Creative Writing classes instead of the English Lit she was promised. Alex's reasons for taking the job have to do with the circumstances under which she left her last position. The Dean is a friend of her family.

Almost immediately, Alex finds something off about the atmosphere at the school. There seems to be a contest for the Dulcinea award that involves the skill of the girls in giving blow jobs to the boys. What starts out as an effort to raising the girls' consciousness about their choices ends in a cataclysmic upheaval that disrupts lives and futures.

It could have been a solid five star review with one small exception. There are so many characters who narrate chapters that it is sometimes confusing and hard to keep them straight. Don't let that stop you. This is a book for our time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this novel.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. This was really not my type of book. I do support any effort to get rid of sexual harassment on campus, but I could not enjoy reading about the gory details. Sorry!

Lisa Lutz is too clever by half, as the cliche has it, and since this novel about a creative writing teacher at a progressive, coed boarding school in the Vermont hills is less than half as clever as it might have been, it's no surprise that it's full of cliches as well. It's also sloppy - in lieu of characterization of the adolescents who populate its pages, the author puts them in boxes and labels them, first as a way to remember their names by where they sit and later to reveal what she thinks of them and where they rank in the social hierarchy of the school. She doesn't care much about them, so the reader doesn't,, either, and the secret the protagonist stumbles her way into discovering turns out to be a pretty low stakes game of teenage setting. She's as thinly drawn and essentially one dimensional as the others who people the preppy environs of this forgettable novel.

I'm a big fan of Lisa Lutz and her new book, The Swallows did not disappoint. This was a very different type of book then her series The Spellman Files. This novel is much darker in tone. This very timely story follows a new teacher at a private school who discovers what the male students are capable of and how far the female students are willing to go to put a stop to them.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this arc. I highly recommend this title!

Note to Self: Do NOT send my daughter to boarding school.

This book was infuriating and intense and scary and it made me want to scream and throw it across the room and commit random acts of violence. In other words, it did exactly what it was supposed to.

Lutz is a very talented and variable (in the best way) writer. From The Spellman Files to The Passenger to this one, she has demonstrated a consistent ability to dive into the heads of her characters and tell an utterly compelling story that lives and breathes in their unique voice(s), be they funny, smarmy, mysterious, horrible, or endearing. Each of her books/series feels so unique; the only unifying factor is the quality of the storytelling, which is always excellent.

This time she takes on sexual politics and she does it with her usual take-no-prisoners style of blood, guts, and sarcasm. I don't always like multiple narrators, particularly when they are all unreliable, but that format worked perfectly here in a world of he-said-she-said in which there is no truth, just perspective (in all its twisted, gory, horrifying, aggravating glory). Ms. Witt is by far my favorite of the characters in this one; she's Izzy Spellman as an adult, full of just the right amount of self-awareness and ennui to provide the snarky take-no-prisoners tone that ties the kids together in all their twisted quirks and foibles.

This one is dark and angry. As it should be. And it'll make you dark and angry while you read it. As it should. And it's a story that has to be told and retold and reinforced after it's been retold. Well done, Lisa Lutz - well done.