Rounded up from 4.5 stars for the last paragraph.

I received an ARC of the Passenger a couple years ago, and though I enjoyed that too, it’s hard to believe it’s the same writer. I felt like I couldn’t connect to the characters but after devouring all of The Spellman Files and The Swallows, I’m more convinced it was by design than a flaw in the writing. Her characters have so much more personality (sometimes too much, in the case of the Spellman Files). The dialogue is always so punchy, I think that might be the biggest draw.

I’m definitely keeping my eye out for future works of Lisa Lutz and might delve into those I missed. I’m half tempted to reread the Passenger.

This was fun. The Swallows kept me moving right along, not willing to put it down for too long. It''s a story set in a mediocre prep school with some disturbing school traditions between the boys and the girls. The girls decide to revolt. Told in alternating narrative voices, all of whom I loved. The Swallows has dark humor driving the suspense in this tale. I highly recommend this one; it was great fun to read. Thank you to Random House and netgalley for the advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

This one drew me in at "dark boarding school secret" since there's just something delicious about the underlying malevolence in that isolated environment. After the first few chapters, I fell hard for this story and what I had assumed would be the lead "voice", the new teacher Alex Witt. The short chapters are told in first person through four narrators, two teachers and two students, often retelling the same events from different perspectives. Is it a little odd that there seem to only be about four teachers to a full high school of four hundred students or that despite this being a decently sized school there is little mention of students or an entire body of underclassmen other than a handful of senior boys and girls? Well, yeah, but suspension of disbelief is a HUGE theme here to enjoying this book.

So the premise of this book is that the boys are running an open secret website for them to talk about women and trade dirty photos, stories, etc. However, there's an even more "secret" sub-directory open to a select few where they rate the girls on their blow job abilities and run a "contest" for the year to rate a winner. And this is where I just become a bit lost--I'm THRILLED that Alex Witt immediately questions the same thing I do which is are blow jobs really that prevalent among a high school student body and why!? As far as this being the "dark secret" at the school, it just kind of felt lacking, and maybe I just watch too much Law & Order SVU but it didn't sound surprising or even all that shocking. Now there were some other small streaks of menace, such as mystery footprints outside of Witt's house, a video someone shot over her through a window at night, a string of teachers leaving the school under mysterious circumstances and yet none of that really went much deeper than throwaway lines of "repercussions" for attempting to interfere with this website game.

A more minor quibble of mine but one that nagged at me through this entire book was that it takes place in 2009, and the author is deliberate about reminding the reader of that at various points in the book--but what was the purpose of that time period? There is absolutely nothing that would tie the story to that particular moment in time. I kept expecting a jump forward to present day, but that never happened either. Just a point of irritation for me.

Anyway, by about the middle of this book it became very clear that Witt ran out of things to do as a character and while the other narrators claim how important she was to the ultimate war between the sexes, there's little evidence of that on paper. Such a waste of what was initially such an awesome character. And then there's the plodding plot; the setup of bringing down this website and its users comes out almost immediately but it's so hard to get behind any of the characters trying to pull this off. I already outlined the issue with Witt, Mr. Ford is the other teacher viewpoint and he's aptly described as one of the entitled boys all grown up--a perfect assessment that the author doesn't bother running with beyond that single descriptor, Norman is the webmaster of this site despite hating all of its users but only seems to be (sort of) helping the girls because he's interested in one of them, Gemma is probably the closest to a sympathetic protagonist but even she feels flat and under-developed. The full scale, escalating gender war happens far too late in this book to really feel like it's a running thread. The entire book runs from September until roughly the first week of January. Why not run it through the full school year with escalating actions?

The author is obviously trying to speak to the #MeToo movement, the acceptability of boys treating girls like objects rather than people, and showing that girls can and will fight back. These are great themes to explore, but the issue is that they simply aren't. There are hints and touches on broader issues, but the real execution doesn't happen until far too late in the book to even feel like it's a true progression of the story.

I wish this book could have been all out, over the top satire and really went at the issues it just dances over. However, it's not and it doesn't. It's a "safe" book and not an effective toppling of a poisonous patriarchy.

The Swallows by Lisa Lutz follows a cast of characters at a New England prep school. Alexandra Witt is a new teacher there, fleeing a previous scandal. While there, she uncovers some unseemly events taking place and encourages the mistreated teen girls to take their power back. It jumps from several different characters' perspectives. I'm not totally sure this book needed that many POVs. I would've rather a third person perspective or cut out a narrator or two.

I liked this book a lot. It's quite timely in our current landscape, while still focusing on how real characters might engage with these situations. It made me want to pick up an ax.

I would've liked to see a little more of what happened to the characters after the main climax, but I enjoyed the book as a whole.

It took me a little bit to get into this book during the story set up, but once I did, I was hooked! The story is a little far fetched in the premise because there are about 5 adults and hundreds of students in a boarding school, but I liked the story being told about the toxic culture that is still pervasive and needs to be stopped. I kept waiting to figure out what the big twist was going to be - I didn't guess it and I thought it was really well done and truly made sense for story being told. I will definitely recommend this book!

Set in 2009, presumably to remove the complication of widespread social media and smart phones, this story is still timely and feels relevant. The events in the latter half of the story are especially delightful on two fronts: emotional catharsis and narrative satisfaction. You can practically hear the war drums play as you close in on the ending and anticipate the last big punch.

On a less satisfying note, it was surprisingly difficult to keep the characters straight due to the shifting viewpoints, but not shifting tone. And I didn't understand why this boarding school existed. Definitely not academically prestigious and also not for social advancement nor name recognition? You could plop the plot in a regular high school and the story wouldn't need revision at all.

There are a few things that need improvement, but man, I was really hooked at the end and found the conclusion enjoyable.

I received a free e-copy of this title - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Rounded up from 2.5 stars

I wanted to like this way more than I did. There was SO much potential, but it felt like the author wasn't totally convinced that she was committed to the crazy, and held back. It resulted in a story that felt both unrealistic and yet not unrealistic enough.

There are several voices we hear from through the novel, and they were not different enough for me to differentiate them too easily. There were several times when I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to remember who I was "listening" to. There were at least two teachers and two students... I don't think more than that. Alex Witt and Finn Ford (teachers), and Gemma Russo and Norman ? (students).

The premise of the novel - a semi-secret "society" at a boarding school - is nothing particularly new. I think that Ms. Lutz felt that her plot line was quite shocking, but compared to other YA stories and real life.. it was really a little ho-hum. We were TOLD the students were diabolical and awful people; and there were certainly a few situations that were tragic and unpleasant. But I don't like being told how awful people are; I want you to give me reasons to draw that conclusion on my own. As the novel draws to a close, several revelations are made that felt forced and a little desperate. There are several storylines and plot points that are never concluded/not concluded satisfactorily (why is Primm such a PITA? What's up with Keith? Is the headmaster creepy weird or just weird? <spoiler>Why does the author think there would have been no investigation into the fire at the boys' house, when it would have proven that the kid who they blamed it on was actually in the room when it started?</spoiler>)

Also - I couldn't figure out WHERE this was supposed to be happening. At first I thought somewhere in England, but then Witt went to another state to visit a former teacher, but the language and phrases seemed very English compared to American... It was confusing. Other than that, the writing was actually pretty good - it was a readable story, and I enjoyed it fairly well other than the issues mentioned above.

Good story, just wasn't for me. Very good writing, but felt this would appeal more to a younger audience. Well written story.

This was a complicated book with a range of flawed characters. I did enjoy the book but found the chapters a bit hard to follow after a bit. It's written in the first person which is not my favorite. A few pages into each chapter I had to go back and see who was narrating said chapter. I did love the board school setting. It certainly is a book for the times. I will give this a 3.5. Thank you Netgalley for the copy.

“Memory and reality are like cousins. Best-case scenario, they’re like first cousins. But sometimes they’re the kind of cousins who can marry.”

Yes, friends! That’s a direct quote. Please feel free to laugh out loud like I did. The Swallows, is filled with tons of wittiest, wildness and it even speaks of a few ok- busted many “B.J.’s” but it has no BS.

The Swallows was light, fluffy, youthful read to which you gladly “swallow” rather than spit. But being an adult and a parent it is one that I find difficult to accurately give a rating to. Oh, if I could only be one of the “editors” from this tale, perhaps I could give a better synopsis/rating of the humorous tale told within this read. 4 stars❤️

Anti-hero teacher brings to light secrets kept by boarding school boys and empowers the girls to fight back. Sometimes doing the right thing is the wrong thing. The girls get so mad they have to chop down trees.

Let me start this little spiel by praising Lisa Lutz. I've loved her talent for quite some time. Shoot, I am even one of the few who genuinely loved Heads You Lose. Which I still suggest for a fun read on Reddit all the time. And the Spellman series permanently bonded me to Lisa Lutz as a fan. So I went into The Swallows with my hopes so high that your kiss book might kill me like the wise men of Dashboard Confessional once sang. So I guess we can consider me dead because my hopes were butchered up and buried. Headless hope or not, The Swallows, will not deter me from reading more from Liza Lutz. But let the rambling and murder comparisons come to a halt and I'll spill the tea.

The Swallows is told from many points of views (...strike one!). Some of those views include Ms. Witt, the new, mysterious and angsty creative writing teacher. Basically Ms. Witt stumbles upon a dark school secret that really riles up the school's female population. Enters Gemma, the popular girl, who doesn't even have to try yet she is trying harder than anyone. Gemma is a take no shit kind of gal, so she wants to take matters into her own hands on matters regarding this secret. But as the plot unfolds, it all goes incredibly wonky resulting in an epic men are from Mars, Women are from Venus show down.

What didn't I like? - No One Asks....

Well I shall tell you anyways. First, there are about two hundred characters minimum. Yes, I am slightly exaggerating. But there are so many students, parents and teachers that it was almost impossible to know who was who. There were so many times I had no clue and simply could not tell one from the other. So I just read it and was like "Oh, remember that thing that happened to one of the 16 bazillion character with unrecognizable names I will never remember? ...." It basically was a headache to try and keep up with this storyline while simultaneously trying to remember 50 angsty characters. So there goes a star. And then there were 4....

Next! This story is being marketed as a Mystery & Thriller, Women's Fiction novel. I got this information from NetGalley and confirmed this genre through the Goodreads genre tags. And I have to admit, it is not being marketed correctly. I don't know who thought this would best target women, but the teenage point of view and high school setting outweigh the annoying, teenage like adults. In my opinion, the focus of the book was far more appropriate for a YA (later teens) aged reader. I think whomever decided to label it with the Women's Fiction book did this novel a disservice. It will resonate with older teenagers much better than grown women. More on this genre classification. It is called a Mystery & Thriller. I would not call this novel a thriller at all. And does a not so secret secret make a novel a mystery? There was no big mysterious revelation or major twist reveal. My personal opinion is this classification will do more harm than good for this book. And then there were 3....

On to the next! There were honestly so many pointless plots in this story. The example I am about to give is not a spoiler. Ms. Witt has a father who is an Author and randomly shows up all the time. All her co-workers and students ask if she is related to said author. And it honestly amounts to a whole lot of nothing. Like I really just either missed the point or my other theory is there was no point. Maybe this is a whole men need women lesson. No clue. But if someone went through and deleted all those paragraphs the story would be no better or worse. Pointless. Also, Ms. Witt comes to school on some more than suspicious circumstances. But there is a little invention called the internet. So obviously someone seeks it out. The "big" secret was kind of underwhelming. This was really built up too. I was essentially promised a real pony for my birthday and I got a fricken stuffed horse! There is more point than the famous author dad, but don't get carried away with credit there. These aren't the only plots that I found no use in there were a few others. But who knows maybe I am being hyper critical. I will just say that I am looking forward to more reviews on this one to see if others had similar feelings. And then there were 2.....

And there you have it, a two star story. Which I truly hate to give to Lisa Lutz just because she is an author that I associate with reverence. But this story was not for me. And I really think they should reconsider who they think the target audience for this novel truly is. But I will say, I totally love the punny title. That is the Lisa Lutz we know and love!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of The Swallows.

A dark, twisted tale of betrayal, revenge and long kept secrets. When Alexandra Witt accepts a teaching job at Stonebridge, she was hoping to escape a terrible past, but soon becomes entangled in a gender war that turns fatal. When Gemma, the shy loner but also a part of "The Ten" discovers the truth of The Darkroom, she builds an army to fight back. When silence can no longer be tolerated, the consequences turn deadly.
I loved the characters. The plot was original and well written. A page turning and thought provoking thriller.

<blockquote>In a perfect world, they wouldn’t need to fight. That’s not the world I live in. 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 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.</blockquote>
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I find myself reading more and more fiction by women and POC about topics such as feminism and racism. Call it my personal reaction to recent political events. Some of these works have been better than others, of course. The Swallows has been one of the best I’ve read.

As I was reading the story, I was already trying to think about how it’d summarize it in this review when, in a rather meta moment, one of the characters did it for me:
<blockquote>“Son, you’ll never get anywhere if you can’t do a proper elevator pitch. You’re burying the lead. It’s a twisted noir about a bizarre sexual competition that has become the backbone of the social hierarchy at a long-standing boarding school.”</blockquote>
That quote really sums things up quite nicely. The new teacher, Alex Witt, immediately senses that there’s something deeply wrong at Stonebridge Academy. Alex is a wonderfully written character; trying so hard not to care this time, she’s sarcastic, wry, and damaged. Alex inspires a group of girls, led by Gemma Russo—another sharply written character—to try to change the social order in the school once and for all. The plot builds nicely, well-paced and believable, until events begin to spiral beyond any of the characters’ control.

The Sparrows is a gem, turning the #metoo movement into a thriller. A must read!

P.S. The blowchart is so perfect Ballantine should print it on posters and give them to every high school on earth.

This book was a really interesting game dive into the gender dynamics of a microcosmic society. I really wish it had been about 20% shorter though because it felt like the build up was taking FOREVER but the ending was satisfying. I also didn’t care for some of the peripheral characters.

Alex Witt takes a teaching job at a boarding school and through anonymous creative writing assignments finds out about the "darkroom" and a demeaning sexual contest that many of the girls are unknowing participants in. So far, anyone that's tried to stop it, has been run out of the school.

Lutz is brilliant as always at creating quirky, original, engaging, and yes maybe a little over the top characters. I could not put this book down!

I love love love Lisa Lutz's writing. She can make any storyline compelling and has a knack for getting you to truly care about her characters. While this was not my favorite of Lutz's work, this was still a thrilling and gripping read that went by fast. The book gave me a lot to think about in terms of complicity, responsibility, and appropriate actions for retaliation. I'm not sure I entirely agree with the message the ending seemed to propagate (i.e. sometimes lives must be taken for the sake of progress or to advance a movement), but I think mulling over this message and the book, with all its complexities, is an important part of the conversation surrounding advocacy and social justice. I appreciate that this book, which I feel is accessible to both YA readers and adults, put forth these considerations and I hope that other readers will join me in thinking about and responding to the message the book puts forth.

I absolutely loved this story from start to finish! What a fun ride through a fancy school with an awesome teacher. Thank you NetGally!

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley Lisa Lutz’ novel “The Swallows” aims to be this year’s Big Little Lies, and it is equally as gripping. While I do wish some of the characters were a bit more thoroughly developed. This is a fantastic novel and the pacing is breathtaking. I loved the female characters and Lutz does a terrific job writing from the teen perspective. As a teacher, I was disappointed by the portrayal of male teachers and the trope of teachers sleeping with students but Lutz deftly ties all of the plot points together and does not stray into this topic without purpose. This is a great summer novel and it is aching for the Netflix treatment. Well done!

In Lisa Lutz's The Swallows, newly hired teacher Alex Witt is going through some hazing at Stonebridge Academy, a private school in Vermont. As she begins to deal with the bordering on nasty harassment, a student named Gemma informs her of a website where the boys of Stonebridge brag about their sexual conquests, complete with a ranking of their female classmates.

Not wanting to make waves yet unable to ignore the issue, Alex becomes an unofficial advisor to Gemma, who is forming a group of her peers that are planning to take the boys on, especially since they know the patriarchal power system that runs the school certainly won't. As remote as she hopes to be from all of this, Alex finds herself caught up in the maelstrom that eventually ignites but is not unhappy about which side she's on.

Lutz is known for her sharp satire mixed with savvy storytelling and while this novel is set several years before the rise of the push back movement against misogynistic behavior that we see today, this vivid tale of payback rings strongly to our times.