I absolutely love Samantha Downing's books, and For Your Own Good hit all the right boxes for me. You won't be able to put this dark academia thriller down.

Thank you, Netgalley, for my arc.

Downing is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller authors. Once again, she knocks it out of the park! For Your Own Good is an unputdownable, propulsive novel.

Belmont is an elite academy with the parents of the children who attend demanding nothing but the best from their kids. Teddy, named Teacher of the Year, also expects the best of his students, and refuses any deviation from the rules. As mysterious deaths begin happening on campus, Teddy remains unaffected, only demanding that the killer be found immediately. As the complex plot unfolds, I was kept on my toes, unable to turn the pages quickly enough to find out what was going to happen next.

This was a fantastic book. I believe this is my favorite Downing thriller so far. You won't want to miss this one! Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for a copy of this one exchange for an honest review!

VERDICT: 4.5 STARS

Having recently finished the previously published “For Your Own Good” by Samantha Downing, I am happy to have had the chance for the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group!

This is a story with another bad guy name that will stick with me. I wasn’t able to shake Tobias (My Lovely Wife) for awhile and now Teddy will be a name to creep me out for a bit.
What I find myself enjoying about each of Samantha Downings’ novels is how EVIL her everyday characters are written. A devious husband and wife team of murderers had me disturbed with her debut, and now a deranged teacher will stick with me until her next novel arrives and I can enjoy another TWISTED and thrilling story!

"He tries and tries and tries, and yet sometimes, even he can't help them, Not that he's going to give up. He never gives up. It's for their own good."

When a string of mysterious deaths happen at a prestigious private school, a number of students and staff are suddenly under suspicion.

This started out interesting enough, but the ever-growing list of characters and perspectives became a little tedious, as did how their storylines played out...There were very few likable characters and after a while the final third of the book just devolved to people stalking one another. The entire storyline quickly became repetitive and I was just ready for it to end. This was a little too campy for my taste, and not in a fun or kitschy way.

Dark academia crime thriller...Yes, please!

This is a great follow up to Samantha Downing's break out book, The Lovely Wife. Downing writes bad guys so well. You love to hate them.

Teacher of the Year, Teddy. Crutcher, works at the prestigious Belmont Academy. He works with the best and brightest and very rich students. Only one problem...he despises privileged people. He also wishes the meddling parents and colleagues would just leave him to his work.

This is a read. you don't want to put down. The twists and turns had me guessing till the end.

I am eagerly waiting for what Samantha Downing comes out next!

This book is chock full of unreliable, unlikeable characters but that's what makes it even more entertaining. You are constantly kept guessing what is going on and who is to be trusted. A great book full of suspense from beginning to end.

This was a wild ride of a book, where no character can be trusted and everyone has a motive for murder and a secret to hide.

This gave me all of the dark academia vides that I needed!! Such a great thriller that I literally stayed up way too late to finish. I have never read anything by Samantha Downing before, but she is definitely someone I plan on reading again.

For Your Own Good is a fast-paced, twisty academic thriller about a psychotic teacher. It is so incredibly entertaining from start to finish! The characterization is solid. The plot is engaging. I really cannot recommend For Your Own Good enough.

I really enjoyed the academic setting. Being in everybody's head was fun and made for a fast read. It kept my interest, and I wanted to continuing reading. Definitely want to pick up more books by this author.

For Your Own Good is the third book I’ve read from Samantha Downing. She’s officially become one of my favorite thriller writers! For Your Own Good sets place in a prestigious private school and dives into competition, revenge, fear, and secrets. I absolutely loved this book and it deserves all the stars! This was so twisted and engaging that I couldn’t predict the ending. I was sucked into the story from page one and loved the pacing. The author did an amazing job fleshing out each character. I liked how she used the third narrator perspective and we were able to see what each character was thinking and what information they were privy to as well. I can’t wait for the HBO Max series of this book!

This is a WILD ride and ohhh man am I here for it!! 🔥⁣
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It’s sneaky, it’s snarky, it’s private school students and teachers behaving badly, it’s characters you love to hate, it’s multiple POVs, and my goodness that body count!! ⚰️ ⁣
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I’m not going to give you any sort of synopsis because I don’t want to give anything away, but just know that if you’re into murdery books with acedemic settings, you’re going to want to RUN to your local indie and grab a copy ASAP! It’s just so dang fun and SO dang juicy. These characters are something else, man 😅 This book is one to read cover-to-cover in a single sitting with a giant bowl of popcorn 🍿

I love all of Samantha Downing’s books and this was no exception! She always writes such complex characters that keep you guessing and I loved how she did that in the academic setting in For Your Own Good. As solid, twisty, thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end!

I’ve enjoyed reading books by Samantha Downing, and she’s quickly become another favorite author in the mystery/suspense genre!

It was so much fun to get inside the mind of a character like Teddy Crutcher, the teacher of the year at prestigious Belmont Academy.

Definitely an entertaining read, and I just loved the crazy twists and turns!

*many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Bestselling author Samantha Downing sets For Your Own Good at a high school and bases the story on experiences with which everyone can relate -- the "pressure and confusion" of being a teenager.

Teddy Crutcher has finally achieved his goal. He has been named Teacher of the Year at Belmont Academy, the exclusive and prestigious private school from which he, unlike many other faculty members, did not graduate. Teddy is dedicated to his profession and his pupils. He fervently believes that it is his responsibility to ensure that his students turn out to be the best people they can be. So long as they conform to his moral and ethical standards, of course . . . which are questionable, at best. Teddy enjoys injecting "a little drama" into the lessons he delivers. Because unlike his students, he did not have a privileged upbringing. "No one told him that right and wrong aren't always what they appear to be. he had to learn that for himself. He also had to learn that lying isn't an option; it's a necessity." So if Teddy has to make specific things happen, engineering the desired results, he will. No matter whose life might be changed as a result of his efforts.

Teddy is yet another fascinating and diabolical character created by Downing. As she reveals Teddy's thoughts, it is clear that he sincerely and wholeheartedly believes his opinions and actions are well-founded and justified, and that he is performing an important service by bettering his students and, thus, the world. For instance, he poses on social media as a friend of his students, especially one of his brightest, Zach. He knows the behavior is "borderline self-destructive," but his curiosity outweighs his good sense. After all, it's the only way to keep track of what is happening in his students' lives. And that information is critical to his ability to carry out his responsibilities.

Teddy resorts to all sorts of repugnant methods to control what happens at Belmont. For instance, he alters the coffee pods in the teachers' lounge. He slips some of the coffee drinkers cold medicine. Others calm down with a dose of Valium or sleeping pills. He gives his most talented students lower grades than they deserve, including Zach, a senior with straight A's, a bright future, and overbearing parents who expect Zach's tuition to ensure that he continues receiving great grades. In Teddy's estimation, "Zach is a smug little bastard who has no appreciation for anything or anyone except himself." The paper he submitted deserved an A, but Teddy graded it more harshly. "If Zach were a better person, he would've received a better grade." Because, after all, "Teddy is just helping everyone. Doing what's best for them." That's Teddy's mission, even though he feels perpetually unappreciated.

Sonia Benjamin, a Belmont graduate, is known to the students as Mrs. B. She's a good teacher who oversees The Bugle, the school newspaper. The students love her. Teddy arranged for her to have a very bad day at school, but she recovers and returns just in time for the celebration of her ten-year anniversary at the school. To commemorate Teddy's ten-year anniversary, there was just a small gathering in the teachers' lounge and his ten-year pin was delivered to him via his department mailbox. "But Sonia is different. As a former Belmont student, she's part of the family." Teddy doesn't approve and arranges an unpleasant surprise for Sonia that goes horribly wrong, even though he only "meant to ruin her party. Just a little."

Courtney Ross, a junior who is the newspaper editor, is Zack's good friend. Her mother, Ingrid, is a member of the Belmont Academy's board of directors -- the group that selects the Teacher of the Year. When Courtney is wrongfully accused of a horrible crime, Teddy has to act to maintain control of the situation.

For Your Own Good is replete with shocking plot twists and surprising revelations. As with her previous books, Downing surrounds Teddy with a cast of compelling supporting characters, including one who was previously victimized by Teddy, and has returned to teach at Belmont and extract revenge. And a former math teacher, Frank Maxwell, who had a mental breakdown and, following treatment, embarked on a new career in the ministry. Frank knows a great deal about Teddy and his personal life.

In For Your Own Good, Downing takes the relatable experiences of high school students, teachers, and parents to exaggerated, perverted extremes to pen an engrossing and completely entertaining mystery. The story is not just tautly-constructed, inventive, and clever, it is imbued with dark hilarity. The story moves at a steadily brisk pace, and Downing intensifies the dramatic tension as Teddy begins piecing together clues about what is actually happening to his life -- and why. But is it too late for Teddy and his psychopathically well-intentioned machinations? In true Downing style, she delivers a stunning but conclusion to the story. Readers will be anxious to see just what Downing comes up with next.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

Interesting, intriguing story that takes place in a prep school. Story is full of mistrust and deceit.
Twists and turns aplenty and I liked that the chapters were short and full of keep you on the edge of your seat factors. An extra half star for the mentions of the book "The Outsiders" and the Amazon series "Bosch".
Thank you to Netgalley. Berkley Publishing and the Author, Samantha Downing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a page turner it had me on the edge of my seat. Lots of thrills ! Fast paced narration. First book by this author and it won't be the last.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of this book. Samantha Downing does not disappoint. This book has all the twists and turns her readers have come to expect. The fact that ALL the suspects have motive make this a true mystery until the very end. 4 stars

I've read all three of this author's books and my favorite thing about her suspense thrillers are not so much that you are on the edge of your seat about "whodunnit" because you pretty much know which characters are more twisted than the others. It is her wry humor in every book, the way she tells the story, the wit of the characters (twisted or not) is clever and I often find myself smiling even as people are getting murdered. (Maybe I'm twisted.)
In this story, we know Teddy has "issues." He's been caught in lies by more than one person. But is he the only one unhinged?
It's a multi-layered plot with underlying themes of parental expectations, what wealth can do to a person, and how teachers affect students lives.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me another fun and twisted thriller by this author!