Twisty dark academia set in an all girls reform school in Washington set in the 1950's

Rosemary Chivers is a home economics professor who has come home to be closer to her ailing mother. He mother sets her up to work as a replacement teacher at this reform school with troubled girls with an ulterior motive. Her mother dies before telling Rosemary what secrets are hiding in the school. She eventually realizes 3 of the oldest girls might have a connection to her past. She takes the girls under her wing, but the relationship with them gets toxic very quickly, and it leads to some serious repercussions later.

Ever since reading The Secret History I love stories about teachers and a handful of selected students that form a close bond that leads to tragedy. Although I enjoyed an all female take on the idea, I am not sure i liked the historical setting. Also I don't think the author really explored the dynamics to their fullest potential.

Thanks so much for the advanced copy for the purpose of this review. I was instantly drawn to the beautiful cover and title.

The story was not unusual to me as I love books about adoptions and birth mothers. The writing was really good but seemed a bit drawn out to me at times. Three stars.

Complex relationships, different timelines, feminism, thought provoking choices and more? This was an absolutely stunning read, and I could not put it down.

I am a huge lover of historical fiction and dark academia, and this book fits into that perfectly. I particularly love reading about the 1950s and the freedoms/restrictions that characterised the decade, and thought this storyline did a fantastic job of drawing you in and helping you understand how it felt to simply exist during these times - especially if you didn’t conform to the expected societal norms.

Megan Chance’s writing is wonderful, and I felt invested and engaged from start to finish. Like some of the reviews, I did find the ending felt a little rushed, but overall, the pacing was really well done.

This was so close to being my first 5 star read of the year, but I sometimes found the choices made by the main character a little unexpected - when Chance’s story telling is the level of quality it is, it can feel jarring when you realise you misjudged or misunderstood the writing and feelings of a character. A definite 4.5 stars though, and I’ll absolutely be picking this up again.

I read this initially through NetGalley as an Advance Reader Copy and all views are my own and unbiased. I am eagerly awaiting the publication date as this will be a well loved addition to my shelves.

Excellent historical fiction from Megan Chance to end out 2022.

A Dangerous Education is a story of choices. The choice to live your own life, the choice to pick your own political thinking, the choice to make decisions about your own body, your career, your life...

It's a very feminist novel, set in the 1950's and earlier, with a reform school as a backdrop. McCarthyism, Red Scare, sexual freedom and choice, alcohol, LGBTQ issues....all discussed within. This is a progressive historical fiction novel so it's not some run-of-the-mill story for your grannies on a Sunday.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was different from my usual go to and I am glad I branched out.

I love that each of Megan Chance’s books is so unique. She doesn’t have a cookie cutter approach and her research is so impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it had a great story, some historical components, a little mystery and a dash of love. The build up was slow and intriguing and the ultimate ending was not predictable. I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read this book, this did not influence my opinions.

Rosemary made poor choices as a teenager that changed her life. Now, at her new job as a reform school teacher for troubled young girls, she’s set on her charges not making the same mistakes.

I love a story about some wayward young girls, and this was it! The time period and fear of communism added to the story and gave it an interesting historical fiction aspect. There was really a lot to this story besides young women coming of age and getting into trouble. So much more. I loved the main character even though you could see her making bad and worse decisions every day!

“She didn’t know their rules. They risked nothing, but she could lose everything.”

A Dangerous Education comes out 2/7.

First of all, thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a change to read this advanced copy. This was truly such a great read! It has been a while since I read a book that I didn’t want to put down. I finished reading this mostly in one day.

The story follows Rosemary who is a home-economics teacher during the post war McCarthy-era, who takes a job at a reform school for rich girls. In a time where it was dangerous to have progressive ideas, Rosemary feels trapped in her life and has to live with the demons in her past. When she finds out one of the girls at the reform school is the child she gave up years ago she spirals into a dangerous relationship with a clique of girls of which one of them might be her daughter.

Honestly this was so good. The story was like a historical novel wrapped into a mystery with a sprinkle of dark academia. Meaning, the vibes were immaculate. I think the setting of the Cold War America with the Red Scare was so fitting for a dark academia mystery. Like the suspense of not conforming to the societal norms and the fear of being accused of being a communist gave such an interesting twist to the story.

And I just loved the creepy bond between the three girls in the story. It was so eery and disturbing. I think their characters were really interesting, although we only got to see them through Rosemary’s eyes. Which I think was part of the intrigue because Rosemary isn’t the most reliable of narrators. She’s very sad and haunted by her past and feels so much pressure keep up the front of being a perfect American woman when she doesn’t believe in those societal norms.

I liked that the more academia part of the book focused heavily on women’s bodily autonomy and female sexuality. The story takes place mostly in the 50’s and these topics were still very taboo, but it’s interesting because some of these topics are still being discussed today, especially in de US. It was interesting to see our MC fight against these norms and wanting to teach these girls what it meant to have a right to choose.

I didn’t end up giving it five stars because I was a little annoyed by the main character at times. There were some times that I think the choices she made didn’t really fit with the character but were just there to keep the story going. I also think the ending was a bit rushed and easily resolved. I wish the author had taken a little more time with that.

But over all this was a really great book! I totally recommend this so check it out on February 7th 2023

This was a DNF for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to obtain a copy. I’m sure this book is for many people, but it isn’t for me. DNF at 117 pages.

In 1950s America, Rosemary Chivers takes a job as a home economics teacher at a reform school for girls. She becomes very close to three of the older girls, Maisie, Sandy and Jean, but disaster ensues and Rosemary's past eventually catches up with her.

Wow, I couldn't put this book down! The author does an incredible job of maintaining a creepy sense of unease throughout the book, all wrapped up with fascinating period detail about McCarthyism and a really compelling story. Absolutely loved it! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

A DANGEROUS EDUCATION surprised me in more ways than one - I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did and once I started reading I could barely put it down. A complicated, thought-provoking and cleverly written look at motherhood, freedom of speech and how far we'll go to protect those we love.

Shoutout to NetGalley for the read!

Rosemary Chivers gets a new job at a reform school with an assignment to adhere strictly to out of date curriculum. Things get a little messy as she forms an interesting dynamic with three other students while harboring a secret of her own…

I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. First, the setting is in the 1950s, where the threat of communism looms large, and activities are placed under microscopic investigations. The story is told in past and present tenses, highlighting Rosemary’s experiences as a new teacher at the reform school and also to show a reflection on her past and how it ties into the present (thinking: how do I say this all without spoilers?). If you are a fan of American History and feminist thinking, this book may be for you.

I received an advance copy of this book and could not put it down. I opened it thinking I’d read for an hour or two and did not stop until I had read all the way through the authors note. This story is one that can stand the test of time. Women of all ages can not only be emotionally drawn into the story and the characters. This story is thought provoking and relevant to not only the two time periods it’s set in, but feels just as real as if the story line were to take place today. This would make a great book club read.

A cleverly written novel that weaves through the story through different timelines, giving the reader a different lens through which to view the story.
I found this book emotional to read, I felt anger for the protagonist as well as sadness and pain.
It's set during eras I don't read or know much about but I was still pulled in very quickly and the decades used became familiar.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, I wish great success to the author.

I wanted to enjoy this but was overly unimpressed with the relationships, the dynamic, and the plot felt convoluted.

Entanglements. What an odd word--but so very fitting for this incredible novel--I have goosebumps even thinking about it! And it will become clear when you read this book. Protagonist Rosemary meets David, her dream man when she is young; there are complications and things fall apart quickly. She accepts a teaching job at Mercer Rocks and because it is the 1950's at the height of McCarthyism, she is given the curriculum and must avoid anything "subversive" and even remotely suggestive of communism. That's all you need. Go in with a blank slate and allow Chance to open your mind to a time period that had so many repercussions that those of us who were children then, can only shudder to remember the atrocities we witnessed. I can't say enough about this book; it will haunt me for days!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This had some of my favourite things in a book. This was very interesting. Complex relationships have always intrigued me. I love reading about a mother daughter relationship, they’re not always perfect and this book stands out as one that doesn’t hide away from showing that. Highly recommend!