A perfectly timely book full of the rage of teenage girls. At a secluded private school, a culture of slut-shaming and patriarchal violence has arisen, and the female students are ready to fight back. Some plot details seem a little muddled and confusing, but I really loved these girls and was rooting for them. The last 15% was a bit of a mess, which lessened the emotional impact of the ending and cut it down from 5 stars for me. Love Lutz as a writer.

Review#40 THE SWALLOWS by Lisa Lutz and reviewing for Netgalley. Its an all out gender war in a private school that both students and teachers get caught up in. Well written but I had some problems with the characters. There are three female characters...Linny, Alex, and Claude that for the better part of the book I had trouble knowing if they were male or female. Also, depending on what character is narrating, two of these characters were also called by their last names....very confusing! A bit of a slow start and not the thriller I was hoping for...more like adult fiction. ⭐⭐⭐Three stars.

I really enjoyed this smart, well written novel. It will delight fans of The Secret History, with its inside prep school vibe and its excellent characterizations. It is timely, engaging, excellent fiction. I loved all of it.

I cannot say enough good things about The Swallows!

The Swallows is an intriguing look at sexual politics, assault, and even murder at an exclusive boarding school. Teen sex and double standards for male and female behavior are at the crux of the story, and it makes for a book that is entertaining as well as disturbing.

Lutz does an amazing job bringing these characters to life, and making you care about what they are going through.

Two thumbs up!

This book started out fairly innocuously. I was drawn in by the story of Alex, an incoming teacher at prep boarding school Stonebridge. However, the story quickly turned into a dark tale of women fighting back against a patriarchy that had been reigning over their school for a long time. The story was bolstering, exciting and worrying because it doesn't seem at all far-fetched that something like this would have been in any one of the schools that I have attended. I would highly recommend this wonderful read to anyone looking for some fuel for their feminist fire.

“In a perfect world, they wouldn’t need to fight. That’s not the world I live in.”

*** Trigger warning for misogyny, homophobia, sexual assault, and suicide. ***

“When I look at what the editors have written about us, I have to wonder how they see us. Do you know what I mean?”

“I’m not sure,” I said.

“Like, are we even human?”

***

“I would cut off the p*nis of any man who talk about me like this,” said my mother, as she gazed down at a score sheet. “You know what I would like to see? A bad-bl*wjob contest. That would teach them.”

Gemma and Mel, who had seemed so lost, suddenly looked up at Mom like she was their new queen.

***

I remember the first time I saw them. They were walking down the hall together. Bald, proud, angry. The boys didn’t laugh when they saw them. They’d never been quieter. You could feel their fear. The girls didn’t look like girls anymore. They looked like warriors.

***

Come to think of it, Witt herself was like an inkblot test. Everyone saw something different.

***

Forced to leave her previous job at “plummy” Warren Prep after a male student-turned-stalker secretly videotaped her engaged in a totally adult, totally consensual sex act, Alex Witt finds herself teaching English lit (well, creative writing) at second-tier Stonebridge Academy (though she draws the line at fencing). Given all the slut shaming and unearned scrutiny that she’s already weathered, it’s no surprise that Alex keeps to herself, playing house in an abandoned cottage in the forest and only doing the bare minimum, course-wise. However, all this changes when an anonymous, introductory writing assignment – something of a tradition in her classes – elicits some strange responses.

Repeated references to the Darkroom (and a shared distaste for BJs) compel Witt to dig deeper – as do the cryptic notes left in her cabin; the rumors half-whispered by fellow faculty and staff; and a seemingly nonconsenual sex act Witt witnesses in the bathhouse. As Witt and the teenage girls/warriors she inspires turn over the rock that is Stonebridge Academy, exposing the rape culture that lurks underneath, the so-called “gender war” escalates, ultimately leaving two dead in its wake.

So here’s the deal. Is the plot of THE SWALLOWS a little outlandish? Maybe. Not in substance, but perhaps scope. The Ten, the Darkroom, the Dulcinea award? Totally believable. The victim blaming, rape apologism, and institutional cover-up of sexual assault? Abso-forking-tootly. Granted, the lack of adult supervision is a bit shocking at times, and the extent to which the conflict escalates here can generously be described as unusual. But is it unheard of? Spare a thought (and perhaps a triumphant fist pump) for the Greek woman who doused a British man’s genitals in liquor and then set them on fire after he sexually assaulted her in a bar. Suddenly jalapeño bl*wjobs and Molotov cocktails don’t seem so ridiculous.

If anything, the heights (or depths, depending on your POV) the swallows go to enact their revenge is a cautionary tale: this is what happens when adults, when those in charge, when our authorities and institutions and culture fail to take misogyny, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape seriously. When the marginalized are forced to find their own justice, outside of the bounds of the law and cultural norms. When those who are taught to silence their voices, to tamp down their righteous anger, finally explode like so many powder kegs. Things get really forking ugly. In this way, THE SWALLOWS is wildly successful.

It feels really reductive to call this a tale about “gender wars,” though. This is a fight against rape culture, full stop. Some of the girls lean in to the misogyny, while some of the guys work to subvert it. You do what you’ve got to: to survive, or to sleep at night.

Also, THE SWALLOWS is a damn engaging story. Lutz’s writing is feminist and empowering but also makes for a great, twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller. The characters – even the sleazy ones; see, e.g., Finn Ford and Leonard Witt – are interesting and multidimensional. Alex is pretty rad but her mother Nastya is in a whole ‘nother stratosphere of badassery. The scenes where Witt creates – and then Nastya revises – the “blowchart” are exquisite.

I’m even a little tempted to get my own axe tattoo.

Of all the characters in THE SWALLOWS, Nastya is most deserving of her own spinoff story.

I also loved the multiple POVs: Lutz tells the story from the alternating perspectives of Alex Witt (the instigator), Gemma Russo (the resistance fighter), Norman Crowley (the defector), and Mr. Ford (the editors, all grown up), sometimes revisiting a specific event from different perspectives. This technique adds depth and nuance to the narrative…but mostly it’s just cool AF, such as when the girls shave their heads. The differently-gendered reactions to the unveiling straight up gave me goosebumps.

Even though THE SWALLOWS requires some suspension of disbelief, the need is not terribly great, and that’s what should scare you most. As a reader, as a woman, as a human being.

The switch in POV was a little confusing at first, but once I learned the characters, it was better. I did worry that I would have to re-read the exact same event just in a different perspective, but the author was great about keeping the overlapping events short and offering a character's fresh take. I enjoyed the story and felt the pacing of the book was well done.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC to read and review. I thought I knew this author. I was taken completely by surprise by the book. I clearly didn't know of her or any of her work. This is a fascinating, extremely uncomfortable book. Using each chapter to tell a different character's perspective of what transpires at a boarding school, the dark underbelly of privileged life slowly gets revealed. It is not pretty. I actually was reminded of Lord of the Flies where the absolute worst of young boys slowly evolves after time alone together. The boarding school seems to have no visitors, no contact with the outside world except a coffee shop in the nearby small village.
Using many protagonists is a great trick in presenting the different views of adults and teenagers. And though I was uncomfortable, having trouble believing some of it, it held my attention to the end.

This book was hard for me to get through, I thought the idea about sinister happenings at a boarding school was a good idea. I just wanted a little bit more something to keep me interested while I was reading. I just got so bored throughout some parts of the story it just made it tough to get through. The only reason it has 4 stars is because of the girls at the school and their willingness to fight. I also enjoyed the ending because all of my questions were answered and the ending was fast and clean cut.

Teacher Alex Witt is new to Stonebridge Academy. As a new teacher trying to learn about her students and get the lay of the land, Alex uncovers some pretty disturbing things going on. As she investigates further more and more people get upset. And the lengths the will go to maintain the status quo is pretty chilling.

Every chapter is narrated by a different person. Make sure to read the chapter title to see who is speaking. I’m not a big fan of the shifting point of view but I got used to it. I really enjoyed the characters Gemma and Linney. The male characters were all pretty slimy. Not much to redeem them. When the girls try to get revenge I didn’t feel bad for the boys at all.

The book is fast paced and has a strong message about the objectification of women. I found myself eagerly anticipating what would happen next.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Boarding school stories are always going to be an auto-request from me which is probably why I had such high expectations going into this one. I read a lot of YA (not that this is YA but teens could get into it) and maybe that's why I saw a lot of familiar tropes of the genre. Perhaps a reader who isn't as immersed in those kinds of books might discover it differently.

I did like the shifting POVs from chapter to chapter. The author gave us perspective from teachers and students alike and that was great. I didn't find it particularly feminist, though, which was disappointing based on the blurb. If I didn't expect that, maybe I wouldn't have noticed.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

Never judge a book by your first impression.

When I opened this book and saw the chapters were all titled by different characters names, my first reaction was a loud groan. I do NOT like books written in first character by a whole bunch of different characters.. It's rarely done well.

I was wrong about The Swallows.

With Chapter One and the musings of young new teacher, Ms Witt, I was grabbed by the wrist and led on a brisk walk among the troubled inhabitants of Stonebridge Academy. We hear the innermost thoughts, reactions and erroneous conclusions of various students and faculty to the things happening around and to them. Daily life at school begins to go horribly awry when the new teacher arrives in her first class 15 minutes late and makes a different impression on several students. Secrets come out, secrets stay hidden, wrongs begin to fester, and when everything comes to its inevitable head, the resulting big bang shakes the school to its core.

I devoured this book in just a couple of sittings. It was that engrossing. Quick pacing, engaging inhabitants with interesting mysteries in their pasts and presents, there wasn't a single misstep in this tale of how a private school does everything wrong and brings about its own implosion. You can't go wrong grabbing this book for a quick beach read, a rainy afternoon on the couch with a fluffy throw, or a wide awake at midnight but don't want to turn on the tv.

While not perfect, this completely topical book is definitely intriguing. The jumping POVs were a bit jarring, and I thought a bit more character development was needed to pull off the sheer number of characters, but overall this was a very entertaining read (and I sincerely hope it gets optioned as a series - I would love to see these sorts of dialogues discussed among a larger audience). Based on this novel, I would absolutely see what else Ms. Lutz has to offer!

This book was unique and unlike any other book I have read. There was a strong feminist message throughout that I think books about teenagers are definitely missing. I also loved that the POV changed every chapter to a different character. Occasionally that can be confusing, but in this case, it worked!

'The Swallows,' is a novel about teenagers at a boarding school, and some coming of age ideas/experiences. The story takes the point of view of various students and teachers, giving us the opportunity to learn thoughts and motives that we may not otherwise know.

My only cons are for personal reasons. It can be difficult to read about cliques and social statuses within a high school. The way teenagers treat each other in the book occasionally seemed over the top, but then I remember that teens can be some of the meanest versions of ourselves.

Cannot wait to read what else this author has to offer.

The Swallows is a fabulous book with a great storyline. The characters are well developed and the story is well written. Lisa Lutz is a fantastic author.

I loved this book. Lisa Lutz has created a world full of empowered teenage girls who fight back against the misogynistic boys at their boarding school. The girls make you cheer, the boys make your skin crawl, and the story keeps you turning pages. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and Lisa Lutz for providing me with this ARC. I have read all of Lisa Lutz's books and whenever I see a new one available, I have to read it. I loved the concept of a book set at a boarding school. I also enjoyed the complex characters that were a part of this story and learning more about many of them throughout. I am also a sucker for chapters that are told in varying points of view. For me, a story always flows very quickly when this method is used. This book was a very quick read for me and I continued to plow through it to the end. That being said, I wish the girls had a reason to revolt other than being on a "blow job" list. The whole concept of the Dulcinea Award made me uncomfortable and even the main teacher having to provide a "when to blow" flow chart, was highly ridiculous. These girls were pressured, etc...but they were not forced into providing this "service" to the boys. The bet way to revolt once learning of this awful award is to simply refrain and find better guys to spend your time on. The entire crusade and end result felt too over the top for what it stemmed from .

I am a big fan of the Spellman books and wanted to give this one a try. I do enjoy the snarky style of writing that the author has. The theme of the book is relevant to today. I did like the idea of empowering girls to no longer be victims. The story featured a escalating war between girls and boys. in a private boarding school. The story is told in first person point of view from several different characters. I liked the aspect of hearing from several different characters like that, however, I think they sounded too similiar. I would have liked that their personalities were more distinct in their recounting. Gemma was a main ringleader among the girls but her motivation was tentative at best. Alex Witt supposedly suffered some issue at her previous school, but that was also not well enough to justify her reaction. The girls final act was a surprise as they weren't sufficiently developed enough to be lead to such a violent act. It was an interesting read that could have been developed more.

While I enjoyed this book overall, it was in that nebulous, something isn't quite right here, perhaps if I carry on this feeling will become less persistent, kind of way. Alas, the odd feeling remained for the duration of my reading. Also I don't know what I was supposed to get out of the tree massacre.

A well-told suspenseful story with a timely message
Alexandra Witt arrives at her new job teaching at Stonebridge Academy, a private boarding school, and is immediately thrown a bit off kilter, when the class schedule she is given on the first day of class consists of a completely different set of courses than the ones she had been asked to teach. Then she finds a dead rat in her desk drawer, which she soon realizes was an omen more than an aberration. The social hierarchy at Stonebridge is ruled by The Ten, a group of male and female students who direct student social life. Alex gradually comes to realize that the male members of The Ten exert further control with a secret website called The Darkroom, known only to the boys, where participating male students plan and report on their sexual prowess. As rumors leak and spread about The Darkroom, sparks begin to fly. Alex tries to support the girls, but ultimately the situation gets out of control and produces consequences beyond what anyone could have predicted.
The Swallows is structured in short chapters written in the first person by the primary members of the cast of characters. This structure is hard to pull off well, but Lutz does it beautifully, giving each character his or her own distinctive voice and showing them as real humans. One of the most intriguing was Finn Ford, a male teacher. As I got to know Finn I veered between considering him a total jerk and a decent guy and ended up deciding he was something in between, just a flawed human like most of us. And then there is Alex Witt, the protagonist: “Some teachers have a calling. I’m not one of them. I don’t hate teaching. I don’t love it either. That’s also my general stance on adolescents.” With this as the opening line, I knew right off this book was not going to be Good-bye, Mr. Chips!
Despite the smile the opening provoked, I do not consider this a humorous book, not even “darkly humorous”. It was hard for me to “swallow” the depth of the bad behavior at Stonebridge Academy. I found it difficult to believe that the student behavior could be so bad or last as long as it did or that the authorities would be blind to the students’ activities, even in a “second-rate” boarding school for children of the wealthy, and I was not sure I wanted to read about it. Once I got past that, though, the book was beautifully done and really gripped me.
I opened The Swallows expecting enjoyable psychological suspense in an interesting setting. It was all of that and much more, with well-drawn characters and a well-delivered message (in more ways than one!).