Even though the contest in the book really upset me, the book held my interest. Boarding school settings have become more popular the last few years. Having previously taught at a private boarding school where none of these issues were present added to the unrealistic tone of this read. Most of the many many characters were not likable and some seemed to serve no purpose at all. Gemma, Linny, and Ms. Witt proved to be the exception. To me, the book seemed somewhat disjointed and hard to follow at times with many bizarre events that didn’t seem to move the plot forward. My thanks to Lisa Lutz, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this ARC of this soon to be published book.

3.5 stars. This one took me too long to finish, and by the end, I was just wanting to get it over with. That's not to say that the story itself and writing weren't good, because they absolutely were. There were just so many characters - I had to write them down with little notes as to who was who, because I wasn't sure who was going to turn out to be important. And they all were. They all played a part.

So, this is the story of what goes on behind the walls of Stonebridge Academy, and private boarding school, with a long history. Over the years, the "boys" have created a secrfet website where they rate the girls and their sexual activities. Of course, the girls are oblivious to this (mostly). To make matters worse, the boys created a competition for the girl who gives the best oral audition. You simply submit your nomination, your review, and any others who partake also review. Nothing can wrong with THAT plan, right? Secrets, lies, manipulations, and just plain looking the other way abounds. Enter Ms. Witt, a teacher who left her other position for some unknown reasons, but gets a position at Stonebridge because of who her mother and father were. She helps uncover what is going on and helps the girls get their ultimate revenge...but at what cost?

The storyline was great, the writing was great, the characters were snarky perfection. It was just a bit confusing for me at time and took a bit long to get to the conclusion, and by the time I got there, I was just glad for it to be done.

This is a novel of revenge. This is a novel of vigilante justice. This is a novel that says if you can’t fight fair, that doesn’t mean you stop fighting. This is a novel about a group of young women who decided to take control of their own fate, and it’s brilliant and it’s beautiful.

I happen to love revenge novels. If you do not, this is not the book for you. This is also nothing like Lutz’s beloved Spellman Files series. Fair warning.

Lutz’s feminist revenge tour de force, The Swallows, concerns a group of young women at a C-list boarding school who are tired of being mercilessly degraded by their male peers and decide to take action.

It should go without saying that the subject of this novel is very of the moment, “Me Too” movement and all. That said, Lutz has taken a far more original and far braver approach to the topic that what we often see.

Her character-driven approach to the subject, whether you love or hate the people involved, will certainly make you think. Personally, I felt proud and energized by what I read, particularly with regard to the ending, but hoooooo boy, it’s gonna make some people mad.

I should also note with regard to triggers that this book has a near-constant focus on sexual harassment. It’s harassment rather than assault, which I think under the circumstances is an important distinction to make and may allow you to read the book if you have a trigger for rape or violent sexual assault, which is mostly not what we’re dealing with here. Still, if this type of subject matter is sensitive for you, proceed with caution.

Otherwise, I think this is something that EVERY woman should read. It’s empowering and energizing and though it toes the line of absurdity at the climax of the story, it’s the ultimate feminist revenge tale, and I loved it.

I felt a lot of things reading this, sad, outraged and angry, and then a little happy, then shocked. The girls at the school in this book face a troubling situation, and instead of keeping quiet and shoving down their rage, they decide to fight back against the boys who have objectified and used them in a game they didn't know they were playing. I like a revenge story. I liked Alex Witt - the new teacher at school who doesn't actually love teaching, and who claims not to like children, but acts to the contrary. I love when the main female character of a book shows up disheveled with their life generally in a mess, instead of always having perfect hair, being perfectly moral, and being slender and beautiful "but she doesn't know it" .
I found this book compelling. There are a lot of characters, and with chapters alternating POVs it was a little difficult to follow at times. Some voices were so similar I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was speaking, but I still followed fairly easily. Overall solid read. Not as wonderfully awesome as The Spellman Files, but still highly readable.

I very much enjoyed this novel, set at Stoneridge, a boarding school that seems full of strange people and lots of secrets. The narration switched up by character kept this book a refreshing and exciting read. I much enjoyed headstrong Gemma Rosso, and awesome, wise Ms. Witt. I definitely would read more in this universe!

I absolutely adored the Spellman Files from Lisa Lutz, which is probably why I'm giving this three stars rather than two. While some of this book was reminiscent of the snark I loved with the Spellmans, it was also reminiscent of her last book, which I really did not care for at all. I wish she would stick to snarky humor, I just don't care for all this dark brooding writing. This despicable school with the despicable students (both boys and girls were culpable in the controversy) and the mostly despicable staff, had no redeeming qualities and I was quite glad it was finished. I nearly stopped reading several times. I really do like Lisa Lutz, but that is the best I can say here.

I really wanted to like this book but I found the entire reading experience unenjoyable. The idea for the plot at its core is really fascinating and relevant, but all of the characters are so deeply unlikable that it was hard to find anyone to root for, even though there should've been an obvious hero! I also found it difficult to really dig deep into the story because I didn't think the plot or characters were well fleshed out enough to create any sense of attachment. However, it was a quick read and I think I would still be willing to try more from this author.

Alexander, the newest teacher at Stonebridge, keeps hearing comments about the Darkroom. When she realizes that the guys have an underground blow job contest, she is disgusted. Some of the girls band together, determined to put the boys back in their place and end the contest forever.

This book featured strong and powerful female characters determined to fight back. I like a strong female character, however most of the characters came across as stereotypical and one dimensional. The plot was pretty predictable. Overall, not a book I would re-read or recommend.

This functions as a feminist manifesto befitting the “me too” movement much better than the Whisper Network did. While I found some aspects of this story unrealistic, it truly captures the viciousness of teenagers and the cruelty of high school.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Private school. Kids behaving badly and getting away with it. Some girls tired of the game and ready to make things change. You know something bad is going to happen at the end since it is mentioned again and again. Told from several points of view, but with headings as to who is speaking, it was easy to keep track of who was telling which part.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Swallows from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wow! This was easily one of the most captivating books I have read in a while! (I actually feel like I may have even missed some clues and should read it again ASAP.) This one caught me off guard so many times I lost track of my derailments. Very unpredictable--in the most wonderful way. I loved the anger of the teenage girls, Alex Witt's desire to help them with their "Dulcinea Award" plight, all of the fleshed-out and truly believable characters, as well as the several varied points of view. What a fabulous book! I will gladly read from. this author again!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Lisa Lutz for the ARC.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This was definitely a suspenseful book told in a private school setting. It was quickly paced... easy to follow.. and a great book.

I have been a long time fan of Lisa Lutz- the Spellman Files is one of my favorite series ever written. She writes characters you want to be friends with. She has to be a comedic genius in real life, because I literally laugh out loud while reading her books. And this book, although not a comedic subject, still had amusing moments while detailing a very real and relevant plot line.

I fell in love with the book right when she described the private school. They had rooms and halls dedicated to famous books and authors. And then a secret path to an abandoned cabin in the forest? It was like Lisa knew the exact way to my heart.

At first the book was a little hard to follow because there are a lot of characters, but it gets much easier after a few chapters. I'm not going to go over the plot line, you can read that in the description. What I am going to say is- buy this book. It is amazing. And if you haven't read any of Lisa's other books, start with The Spellman Files and read every other book she has ever written You won't be disappointed.

#netgally #theswallows #lisalutz

The Swallows is a very suspenseful read with Lisa Lutz crafting a tale of a private school and the intrigues that can occur.

I really enjoyed this book! There's just something about a boarding school vibe that I've always loved. I loved the way Lisa took on one of the things we've know goes on between boys and girls and has for ages in one way or another. She puts an end to the whole boy's will be boys idea that so many seem to still hold. She hold the boys accountable and so do the girls in this school. I also really enjoyed how relatable Alex Witt was with her students. There were always those teachers I had that I talked to way more often than my parents. The book also had enough twists and turns to keep me glued to the pages. I definitely recommend reading this book if you read the synopsis and it sounds like something for you.

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!