As someone who had a run in or two with an abusive and unstable high school teacher, FOR YOUR OWN GOOD is entertaining, a little soapy, and fairly enjoyable. Downing is really good at kind of laying a mystery out for all to see and still keeping it entertaining, as she usually withholds pieces of information until she is ready to part with them. In this case, you know that Teddy Crutcher is a sociopathic menace, but you aren't sure how he's going to keep up with his cruel and sometimes deadly machinations, or whether or not he will be able to get away with them. We also get to see various other people in Teddy's orbit who have either fallen victim to his past schemes, or are unaware of his incredibly dangerous nature. While none of the characters really stood out to me from what I usually expect of thrillers like this, I did find myself worried about at least a couple of them. The twists are pretty good too, and a couple of them really did catch me by surprise. And hey, given that we don't get to see teachers behaving badly as much as we do kids in soapy thrillers, this was a fun change of pace.

FOR YOUR OWN GOOD is what you'd expect it to be, but that's a good thing. It's enjoyable and very readable, and while it may not be pushing boundaries, the familiarity it has is comforting. Well, as comforting as a book about a murderous prep school teacher can be.

This book is a wild ride and typical for Downing a book full of characters you think you know, until you don't.

Teddy Crutcher is an English Teacher at an elite private school who likes control, and doesn't like those that get in the way of that - parents, students, other teachers. Crutcher has plans and when those plans don't work out the way he wants he has to figure out how to stay one step ahead, and keep his goals on track.

This book was very interesting and hooked me from the start. Downing always writes very intriguing characters and this book was no exception, I wished there was a bit more to the book, but it was a fun read overall.

For Your Own Good hooked me from the first page. It was fast-paced and every chapter was more gripping than the last.

It was interesting to be in the head of the antagonist. Though, every character in this book is horrible and has done questionable things. The only character who did not do anything was Sonia, but that in itself did not make her a good person since she was very narcissistic. Each character had their motivations. They each thought they were in the right, which made them more dangerous.

For Your Own Good is a thriller where you know exactly who is going around killing people, but the author did a great job at adding intrigue and mystery.

The one thing I didn’t love was the ending. It was anticlimactic, but overall still a great book!

Oh, Samantha Downing! I absolutely loved this book. As a former teacher, I am always a fan of books that are set in the school atmosphere and involve teachers, students, and parents. Throw in some money, a few entitled parents, and a sociopath teacher who is sick of it all, and you have the ingredients for a perfect thriller that will have you guessing until the very last page. One of the things that Samantha does well is deliver an ending with a punch, that makes you wonder if there is going to be another book. I loved that this one was so twisty, and I never really felt like I had it all figured out. So many thrillers are run of the mill with the same, expired story lines, but Downing delivers a unique and refreshing story that is the perfect binge read. I cannot wait for others to read about this book because I need more people to talk about it with! A few friends said that I was going to love this one, and they were not wrong. I think I felt sorry for and hated all of the characters at some point in the story. I was rooting for them, then thought they were the bad guy and thought I was wrong. I absolutely loved this one, and I will definitely be recommending it to my fellow readers. I will post my review on my bookstagram page @readingmama_reviews closer to this book's publishing date.

This was a unique clever, witty, and thriller read. A great book that takes you full circle into a somewhat delusional world.

Wow! This book is an epic twisted, suspenseful page turner that I could not put down!

From start to finish this book kept me on the edge of my seat, with so many “wtf?!” moments-Author @smariedowning did such an amazing job with this book-the characters are all so well developed, the plot is unique and grasping, and the twists are out of this world amazing and suspenseful!

For all those wanting an epic summer thriller read-this one is for you! I could vividly see this being made into a movie/series-and then I found out that it will be! I am patiently waiting for that release date because this is going to be amazing to see on screen!

Author @smariedowning amazed me with this book, and the ending had me completely satisfied without the feeling of wanting more from it—with the many characters and several twists-it all came together at the end with amazing clarity!

Samantha Downing's best book yet. The education setting deserved the psychological thriller workover and who better than Ms. Downing?

Three books in and it just won't be a summer without a thriller from her.

Take away the psychological thriller parts (deaths etc) and the character types, dynamics etc are spot on for an education setting.

Samantha Downing has done it again. The main character in this book, a teacher hell bent on getting it his way every time, despite the consequences, was well developed and unsettling to read. The pace was quick without leaving gaps in the storyline. As usual for Downing's books, the ending was a delightful shock and this book will most certainly be on a long waitlist at the library.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing. This is her third release and I was really excited to see what this one would be like after reading her past releases.

For Your Own Good is following an elite school. The perspectives bounce around between some teachers and students. At this school deaths begin to occur and we are trying to find out who could be behind them.

❤️Review❤️

I’m bummed to say this one just didn’t fully work for me. As a teacher it was easy to kind of nitpick the fact that this didn’t feel like a school that made sense especially when there was a covid comment thrown in. It didn’t feel like a school back in session after covid. I also really disliked the fact that we essentially know the murderer from the very beginning. I kept waiting for a twist for it to switch it up and it never came. Due to the fact that we knew the murderer for so long the book began to drag and the pacing slowed down. The ending didn’t even fully satisfy the needs I have going into a thriller. So unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me like her previous books.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#BookReview NetGalley #EBook #SummerReading #DarkAcademia #SchoolSetting #ThrillerBooks #Bookstagram #BooksBooksBooks #2021Books #NewBookReleases

Teddy Crutcher, last year’s teacher of the year at Belmont Academy, is one of the most intriguing characters I’ve run across in a while.
Teddy, as well as several other characters in this book, has many secrets, not the least of which is the fact that his wife left him several months ago.
A series of deaths on campus doesn’t seem to bother him, but he just wants his co-workers and the parents to leave him alone. And if they don’t, they will get what they deserve.
Teddy feels he is there to teach the students, and what he says and does is for their own good.
Wonderful book!

If ever there were a group of unlikeable characters, this is it. It’s a group of folks you’ll love to hate. From the first chapter, this book just engaged me. I had FUN reading this. It’s snarky, twisted and just wild.
Belmont School is a prestigious private school from which the parents expect their children will be accepted into the top tier universities. Teddy Crutcher was last year’s Teacher of the Year. He’s determined to help the kids reach their full potential, no matter the cost. But those blasted interfering parents, entitled kids and annoying colleagues just make his life so difficult. But he’s not the only bonkers character. There are a whole group of brown nosers, egoists, type As. We hear from the whole lot of them.
This book would make a fabulous miniseries. It moves at a brisk pace and there’s always something going on. I don’t often give mysteries or thrillers five stars. But this one was an easy five stars. Hell, it’s one of the best books I’ve read in 2021. I haven’t had this much fun in ages.
My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

Sometimes I want a gritty and realistic mystery or thriller. Other times I’m looking to lose myself in a fun, twisty, over-the-top suspense thriller and this fit the bill perfectly! This was a fantastic drama filled story set at Belmont, an elite prep school where scandals and death are becoming downright common. I thankfully sat down to read this early in the day because I could not stop turning the pages. Just one more chapter I’d tell myself, let me wrap this part up at least - wait what just happened?!? Ok, now I need to keep reading… and the next thing I knew it was 8pm and I’d finished it. Totally worth it, sorry not sorry. This is character driven suspense, people behaving badly, gossipy vibe greatness. I highly recommend you pick this one up and watch the train wreck unfold for yourself. 5/5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted DRC. For Your Own Good will be out on July 20.

Teddy Crutcher has been a very naughty boy.

He doesn’t think so.

Sure he’s Belmont Academy’s Teacher of the Year, and he’s only wanting the best for his students. It’s just … well … sometimes you have to help things along … make them better … right the wrongs. It’s ‘for your own good’, he might say. A little collateral damage is just the price you have to pay, right?

I’m going to leave things there as far as the plot goes, because every moment of discovery in this story is a treat to be savored. Samantha Downing worked some serious magic with this book, and I was mesmerized from page one. The characters were so well-developed, the plot so perfectly crafted, and the twists and reveals were handled with just the right amount of subtlety and restraint as to bring a smile to my face each and every time.

It’s dark humor at it’s finest and it’s a great example of how to write a thriller. I’ll definitely be reading her other books, and I’ll be eagerly waiting for any new ones!

Go grab yourself a snack and a big glass of cold milk and dive into this one as soon as possible. I promise you it’ll be delicious.

And no … I won’t say it … but it really is … for your own …

Well, you get the point.

Thanks to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley and author Samantha Downing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. It will be published on July 20th, 2021.

So many twists and turns and possible suspects. Each time I thought I figured it out another character was thrown into the mix of culprits.

My thanks to Berkley Publishing, Samantha Downing and Netgalley.
So...
I liked this story. It was all kinds of messed up! Which is a good thing.
But, it was one of those books that rely heavily upon nearly everybody being fairly simple.
So while I did enjoy the book, it was a quick read. Like cotton candy. Easily dissolved, but too much "stupidity" leaves me with a tummy ache!
Dont misunderstand me, because I would read more from this author.

Belmont Academy is an exclusive prep school that will become plagued by scandal. Teddy Crutcher, English teacher and recipient of the Teach of the Year award, is obsessed with people getting what they deserve. When a fellow teacher becomes the target of his vengeance, things go horribly wrong and the wrong person ends up dying. Then, from there, people fall like dominoes. When the FBI is brought in, everyone is a suspect, and the wrong person is arrested. Teddy can’t have that because she didn’t deserve it, so he must pin it on someone else.
This story is told from multiple perspectives and will have readers on the edge of their seats to find out what will happen next. For fans of Megan Miranda, Lisa Jewell, and Ruth Ware.

Samantha Downing never fails. Seriously y'all. Looking for a nasty, twisty and crazy thriller? You've found it in <i>For Your Own Good</i>.

First of all, those last words. I was talking to a friend of mine about HE STARTED IT and remember saying how crazy it would be if it ended with certain words, then lo and behold <i>For Your Own Good</i> did just that!

Samantha Downing. Bow down.

Secondly, after sitting on this rating for a while, I bumped it up. It deserves it, I really couldn't stop thinking about it. From the narrator you'll love to hate, annoying elitist parents, to students who- well I won't say more- YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE.

The Belmont school is a prestigious institution and reserved for the best students from the wealthiest parents. Teddy is one of the English teachers and the most recent recipient of the Teacher of the Year award. Zach is a straight A student with aspirations of attending an Ivy League university. Fallon is a former student of Teddy’s who never lived up to her potential. When one of the parents from the PTA is found dead this sets off a chain of events that will change the history and future of Belmont forever.

I have read all three of this authors books and it’s amazing how very different they all are. I didn’t know what to expect with this one but it read very different then the others. I do find it interesting how the author has chosen family relationships as an overarching theme. Her first book dealt with husband and wife, the second was grandparents and grandchildren and this one is parents and children. I’m not sure there was anything earth shattering in terms of twists and turns but I did really enjoy this one. Teddy was great main character and made me think of a few tv/movie characters that he reminded me of. I think the story was laid off perfectly and was an easy but fun read. I will continue to read anything written by the author and would recommend you check this one out.

Thank you to Kaye Publicity, NetGalley, Samantha Downing, and Berkley Publishing for the early ARC of For Your Own Good. When I saw that this was a thriller set around a prestigious school, I was intrigued. I have read one of Samantha Downing's other books.

This book was a thriller! There are lots of twisted characters, lots of twisted details, and lots of deaths! I will say there are a lot of characters, and at times I was a little confused. I also was hoping for the ending to be a little more climactic. Overall, I liked this book. If you like thrillers you might enjoy reading this one!

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

I've read all three of Samantha Downing's full length novels and enjoyed them all. This just might be my favorite of the three. Downing can write about bad things happening, all the way up to murder, in such a deliciously funny way. 

This year the Teacher of the Year award at Belmont Academy, home of the wealthiest, smartest, cream of the crop, has gone to Teddy Crutcher. Teddy is a dedicated teacher who will do anything for his students, even if it's the last thing his students or anyone else would want him to do. It's all for their own good, even if it hurts when he puts someone in their place. Occasionally he makes a mistake, a misjudgment, and then he needs to correct course but his heart is in the right place and even if harm is done, it's all for the greater good. 

Yes, a parent died, but life must go on. Too bad the death affects his favorite student in more than one very serious way. Adjustments can be made and then the school will be back to setting Belmont's students on the right path. But one thing leads to another and more adjustments need to be made. Naysayers and doubters can be dealt with, it's all part reaching for excellence. Teddy isn't Teacher of the Year for nothing!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC.